New South Wales has introduced a stamp duty surcharge of 4 per cent for direct and indirect acquisitions of residential land by foreign purchasers, with effect from 21 June 16. A land tax surcharge of 0.75 per cent will also be imposed on residential land owned by foreign persons, commencing 31/12 ...

Australia and japan have enetered into an economic partnership agreement to reducel tariff barriers on the majority of Australian exports to Japan. In contrast to the recently concluded Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement, it does not include an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism. ...

The Supreme Court of Queensland recently considered whether liquidated damages in a standard form construction contract were a penalty In a decision that traversed long-held doctrines on penalties and recent developments in emAndrewsem and Paciocco the court ruled that the obligation to pay ...

A recent advisory opinion from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal outlines certain limits on the maintenance repair and compliance costs that a landlord can recover from tenants under Victorian leases particularly retail premises leases Partner John Beckinsale Special Counsel Christine ...

Whether or not to more broadly adopt a user-pays model for road infrastructure is a contentious debate within Australia A number of industry participants and bodies have shown leadership in framing and enriching the debate while others have sought to politicise or inflame the core issues Partner ...

Recent press reports have made much of Leanne Hodyls Churchill Fellowship report findings that high-rise apartment towers are being built within Melbournes Hoddle Grid at four times the maximum densities allowed in cities such as Hong Kong New York and Tokyo In the light of this report Managing ...

The new package of legislation overhauling Australias foreign investment laws the first major revision in 40 years commenced on 1 December 2015 While many features of the previous regime have been retained and sometimes re-named there are also a number of significant changes Partners Jeremy Low ...

Those involved in property development arrangements or business acquisitions should be aware of the tax implications of the recent High Court decision in Lend Lease Development that has broadened the scope of what forms the consideration for the transfer of dutiable property The High Court found ...

As part of the transaction, KKR will acquire Arnott’s (the iconic Australian biscuit brand and a major driver of Campbell International’s sales), Campbell’s simple meals and snacking brands in ...

Significantly, the report's findings move beyond broad recommendations, identifying the key factors singled out by the law and regulators as drivers of corporate culture and naming general counsel, ...