On 29 March 2020, the Federal Treasurer announced major changes to Australia's foreign investment approval (FIRB) regime to address risks arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. ...

The COVID-19 pandemic and its broad-reaching economic impacts poses a significant challenge to the continuous operation of oil and gas projects in Australia. ...

The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS) is currently reviewing the policy, regulatory and legislative framework for decommissioning infrastructure in Commonwealth offshore waters under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (Cth) (OPGGSA). ...

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...