Application by Ranger Exploration Drilling Pty Ltd Trading AS Ranger Drilling
Citation: [2026] FWCA 2045
What happened
Ranger Exploration Drilling Pty Ltd, trading as Ranger Drilling, applied for approval of a new enterprise agreement, the Ranger Exploration Drilling Enterprise Agreement 2026. The company provided a written undertaking to address potential financial detriment to employees and changes to the agreement. A bargaining representative was consulted and raised no objections to the undertaking. The application complied with sections 185, 190(4), and other relevant sections of the Fair Work Act 2009.
What was decided
The Fair Work Commission approved the Ranger Exploration Drilling Enterprise Agreement 2026. the Commissioner was satisfied that all requirements under sections 186, 187, 188, and 190 of the Fair Work Act were met. The agreement will operate from August 7, 2026, and expire on July 31, 2030. Clause 5.2 states that the National Employment Standards (NES) take precedence in cases of conflict.
What it means for employers
Employers seeking to implement enterprise agreements should provide written undertakings to mitigate potential financial detriment to employees. Consultation with bargaining representatives and addressing any objections is crucial for a smooth approval process. Ensuring compliance with all relevant sections of the Fair Work Act is essential.
What it means for employees
Employees covered by the Ranger Exploration Drilling Enterprise Agreement 2026 should be aware that the National Employment Standards (NES) will apply where there's a conflict between the agreement and those standards. The agreement’s nominal expiry date is July 31, 2030.
Want this applied to your situation?
Reading the decision is free. FairWork Mate goes further — it reads the full case library and applies precedents like this one to your specific facts, citing the cases as it reasons. General information, not a guaranteed outcome or legal advice.
Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:
https://www.fwc.gov.au/documents/decisionssigned/pdf/2026fwca2045.pdfWant more cases like this?
FairWork Mate tracks Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission and Federal Court decisions across Australia. The AI advisor answers plain-English questions grounded on the full corpus — awards cited, industry, penalty amounts and affected employee counts — with a citation to the underlying decision on every answer.
Individual case summaries on this site are free. Full-corpus advisor access is a paid product — Business Solo from $99/mo, 50% off your first 3 months for the first 100 signups.
Get notified on new Fair Work cases
Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
This summary was drafted from the published decision and reviewed before publishing. It is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, speak to the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified lawyer. About these summaries & corrections →