Vic restaurant owner to pay off fines

The former owner of a Victorian restaurant who repeatedly underpaid his staff will have $500 deducted from his fortnightly earnings to pay off outstanding court-imposed penalties.

Sona Peaks Pty Ltd, now in liquidation, and its then director David Anderson previously ran the Curry Garden Indian Restaurant in Bendigo.

The company was penalised $15,500 in January last year for refusing to back-pay an employee who was owed more than $5000 and $142,000 for underpaying other employees six months later.

Following an application by the Fair Work Ombudsman to the Federal Circuit Court, Judge John O'Sullivan issued an Order requiring Mr Anderson to pay $500 a fortnight until his penalties of $26,715 are paid.

The money will be automatically deducted by his Melbourne employer from his salary and paid direct to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

It's the first time Fair Work has applied to have an Attachments of Earnings Order.