Well just like me, you probably won't get any real answers to your question either, and if you do get a response, you will more than likely just get the run around and leave this forum more confused than you was before.
I ended up calling the Law Institute of Victoria, i quickly explained the situation regarding my Son, and i was pointed in the right direction by them, my Son booked an appointment with a small legal firm that deals with the film/television industry, and they sorted him out from there, after just one consultation, but whatever you do, don't talk to any Law students, or mention that you have here in this Forum, otherwise you will most likely regret it.
I even got shot down for calling my Son a "Freelance cinematographer" which to me is rather stupid, given that this is a widely used term within the film/television industry (among others)
What Is a Freelancer?
A freelancer is an individual who earns money on a per-job or per-task basis, usually for short-term work.
A freelancer is not an employee of a firm and may therefore be at liberty to complete different jobs concurrently by various individuals or firms, unless contractually committed to work exclusively until a particular project is completed.
That is exactly what my Son does, he has an ABN, and he is therefore considered to be a "sole trader"
He works as a DOP for registered/legitimate production companies, he does not take on any production work himself, and he does not employ anyone, after he has been accepted for a job, he signs a contract with the company employing his services, he completes his work, he issues them with an invoice for his services, and he waits for them to pay him, usually having to wait many weeks/months for them to do so (there is another topic right here)
He has an insurance package with AON Insurance for all of his work related equipment, if his contract stipulates that he use his own equipment, he charges them accordingly, and he is therefore required to have his equipment insured while on set.
Currently his situation has not changed to what it was when i first posted this Topic, and after seeking legal advice about his current situation, he does NOT require any public liability insurance while being employed on a contract basis.
He has also recently taken out an income protection insurance policy as advised.
