Landlords and tenants will see changes to their rights and compliance obligations under retail shop leases as a result of proposed amendments to the Building Act 1993 (Vic) (and regulations) ...

In this update we summarise the progress of new and existing rule change requests across October 2019 and take a closer look at the AER's Financial Reporting Guideline for light regulation pipelines. ...

A parliamentary inquiry has been announced into whether Australia should introduce a legislation authorising the government to impose sanctions against gross human right abusers. ...

The Draft South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy 2019-2024 has been released for public consultation. The Strategy is supported by new koala habitat mapping. The Strategy and mapping have serious implications for landowners in koala habitat areas within a Koala Priority Area, who will be prevented from clearing their land except in very limited circumstances. We discuss these implications below and suggest that, at a minimum, landowners should review the mapping to ascertain whether their land is within a Koala Priority Area. ...

In his recent address to the RBB Economics Forum, ACCC Chairman Rod Sims identified a number of key focus areas for the regulator. The Chairman offered valuable insight into potential future developments in the competition and consumer law space, including the ACCC's approach to mergers, the possible introduction of a prohibition against unfair trading practices, and further scrutiny of the agricultural sector. We explore the impact of the ACCC's agenda on the food and beverage sector. ...

Companies should seek to make the most of their intangible assets. One way to do this is to use intellectual property assets as collateral to access funding. IP-rich businesses, SMEs and start-ups should keep this potential avenue in mind. ...

New, wide-reaching requirements for government procurement processes have recently been implemented around Australia, following the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other Free Trade Agreements with Australia's key trading partners. ...

The Productivity Commission is examining resources sector regulation, with a focus on identifying opportunities to simplify approval processes without compromising environmental standards or community expectations. ...

In this update we summarise the progress of existing rule change requests across November 2019 and take a closer look at the AEMC's information paper on digitalisation in the NEM. ...

This insight examines the Product Stewardship Amendment (Packaging and Plastics) Bill 2019 which aims to combat the use of single-use elastics in Australia by establishing a mandatory product stewardship scheme for manufacturers, importers and distributors. ...