New legislation has been introduced into the Queensland Parliament that will make significant amendments to a number of the provisions of the existing legislation governing retail shop leases in Queensland Partner John Beckinsale and Special Counsel Christine Adamson report on the major changes ...

The recent Great Southern class action settlement included a term by which group members acknowledged and admitted that loans taken out with independent financiers to finance investments in Great Southern managed investment schemes were valid and enforceable Two separate Victorian Supreme Court ...

The Victorian Government has released new guidelines that provide the framework for how it will assess unsolicited proposals from the private sector, but the key issues remain the same: timing, uniqueness, value for money, and confidentiality/intellectual property protection. ...

The NSW Government has released the NSW Gas Plan which foreshadows more gas development in the State in conjunction with the introduction of tough new legislation to manage future developments. ...

Earlier today representatives of ASIC and APRA provided some insights into their thinking at a session called Up close and personal with the regulators at the annual conference of the Australian Superannuation Funds Association in Melbourne Senior Regulatory Counsel Michael Mathieson reports ...

The High Court has reaffirmed the powers of a responsible entity are ultimately derived from the scheme's constitution, but the exercise of those powers is constrained by the statutory and fiduciary duties imposed on the responsible entity. ...

Australia continues to expand its network of investment treaties In light of this Australian investors should consider a review of the treaty protections that apply to their foreign investments If a treaty includes an investor-State dispute settlement mechanism the investor may be able to resolve ...

The Queensland Supreme Court has held that mining leases did not constitute an interest in land for the purposes of the former land rich duty regime While subsequent amendments to the Duties Act 2001 Qld mean that mining tenements are now treated as an interest in land the decision provides much ...

In preparing its Final Report the FSI has clearly paid close attention to the report of the Senate Economics References Committees Report into ASICs performance and its recommendations designed to strengthen ASIC through a combination of better funding an enhanced regulatory toolkit and higher ...

The Federal Court has recently had another opportunity to consider the application of the promoter penalty provisions in the Taxation Administration Act The Federal Courts recent decision indicates that the promotion of schemes that are clear and deliberate tax exploitation schemes will result in ...