Oceania: Government, Public Sector

AUSTRAC has released updated guidance for reporting entities regarding suspicious matter reports (SMRs), identifying areas where submissions could be improved to ensure high-quality...

Professional service providers preparing for the AML/CTF Tranche 2 regime face uncertainty about which services qualify as "designated services" under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act.

Employee Entitlement Scheme operators face a critical deadline of 1 September 2026 to obtain an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) to continue operations. Understanding the application requirements and compliance obligations is essential for businesses managing employee contribution schemes. Sophie Grace provides comprehensive support for AFSL applications, AUSTRAC registration, and tailored AML/CTF compliance programs.

The Australian Government’s May 2026 update to its foreign investment policy is already being interpreted in some quarters as a further tightening of the regime. That is, however, an incomplete reading. The changes are better understood as a more explicit calibration of risk - refining how foreign capital is assessed, rather than materially altering the underlying framework.

Australia's federal government welcomes foreign investment, but the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) regime has become increasingly complex. This comprehensive guide examines critical considerations for foreign investors, including investor profiles, investment types, mandatory filing thresholds, available exemptions, procedural requirements, filing fees, and the Treasurer's enforcement powers.

Singapore and Southeast Asian investors looking to enter the Australian market through M&A face unique regulatory, structural and commercial considerations that differ significantly from their home jurisdictions. This comprehensive guide examines the typical transaction lifecycle, current investment trends between Singapore and Australia, and critical pre-transaction decisions around deal structure, FIRB clearance, and term sheet negotiations that can determine the success of cross-border acquisitions.

The Supreme Court of New South Wales recently refused to impose strict post-release supervision on a young man convicted of vandalism and arson, finding that his anti-Israel graffiti constituted political expression rather than antisemitic hate speech. This landmark judgment clarifies the legal boundaries between criticism of a foreign state and racial or religious hatred, while rejecting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism as too imprecise for Australian la

The second phase of New South Wales' most expansive overhaul of firearms regulation recently took place, marking the biggest leap in firearms and gun licence laws since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. The reforms are enshrined in the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (NSW), and were passed in an emergency sitting just days after the Bondi Beach terror attack in December 2025.

The Australian Government's 2026 Defence Industry Development Strategy outlines a comprehensive action plan to strengthen the nation's sovereign defence industrial base through procurement reform, industrial growth initiatives, and enhanced export capabilities. How will the establishment of the Defence Industry Hub, Industrial Development Agreements, and the new Defence Delivery Agency reshape Australia's defence sector and accelerate capability delivery?

New South Wales has passed comprehensive building legislation that consolidates existing approval and practitioner frameworks while introducing groundbreaking provisions for prefabricated and modular construction. The Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Bill 2026 awaits Governor assent, with its practical implications dependent on forthcoming regulations that will determine operational details and affected parties.

A Bill before the Queensland Parliament signals a major shift aimed at expanding the circumstances in which Queensland institutions may be held vicariously liable for child abuse perpetrated by individuals in relationships ‘akin to employment’.

In recent amendments to the National Health Act 1953 (Cth) (‘the Act’), the Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care (‘the Secretary’) now has a wider scope of power to cancel the approval of approved pharmacists.