The Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 (Vic) (EP Act), which was set to commence on 1 July 2020 (and overhaul environmental laws in Victoria) will now commence on 1 July 2021 as a part of a suite of emergency measures in response to COVID-19. ...

The Queensland Parliament has passed the Resources Safety and Health Queensland Act 2020 (Qld) (RSHQ Act), which when it comes into effect on 1 July 2020, will change the State's regulatory framework for health and safety in the resources industry. ...

Gas regulation in Victoria is set for major reform after the Government introduced two new bills aimed at enhancing the security of gas supply for the State. ...

The progression of COVID-19 continues at pace and businesses are facing an array of challenges and difficult decisions. While there are a number of issues for businesses to work through at this time, this article touches on the key work health and safety (WHS) duties employers need to be aware of. ...

Businesses that are eligible for the JobKeeper scheme will have more flexibility under the Fair Work Act to make changes to manage the workplace impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as standing down employees or reducing their hours. ...

On Saturday 28 March 2020, the Fair Work Commission introduced temporary changes to the Clerks – Private Sector Award in response to the impacts of COVID-19 on clerical and administrative employees. An employer can now agree (in writing, including by email) with an individual employee to reduce the employee's hours (including by more than 25%) or to move the employee temporarily from full-time to part-time hours of work, and reduce their pay proportionately. ...

Employers should collect, use and disclose as little information as is reasonably necessary to prevent and manage the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. This includes taking the temperature of employees and visitors entering the workplace for the limited purpose of preventing or managing COVID-19 risks in the workplace (provided that as little information as is reasonably necessary should be collected for that purpose). ...

As COVID-19 spreads throughout Australia and the world, its impact is being felt across every industry. With the pandemic at a relatively early stage, the virus has disrupted supply chains and shuttered businesses, resulting in record levels of unemployment and unprecedented market volatility. ...

On Sunday, the Australian Government launched its voluntary digital contact tracing app 'COVIDSafe', along with the app's Privacy Policy, an independent Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and the Department of Health's response to that PIA. The Chief Medical Officer has predicted that the application will have been downloaded more than 2 million times by the end of Monday. ...

In an attempt to sue La Sirène for trade mark infringement, Urban Alley Brewery lost the registration rights to its 'Urban Ale' trade mark, for lack of distinctiveness. We explore how attempting to enforce its trade mark registration rights backfired for Urban Alley. ...