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A recent NSW court case examines when developers and builders can be held liable under section 37 of the Design & Building Practitioner's Act 2020 for defective building work. The decision clarifies what constitutes 'substantive control' over construction work and establishes the evidentiary threshold required to prove breach of the statutory duty of care.

The Fair Work Commission has published proposed variations to the Road Transport Contractual Chain Order following a review hearing in May 2026. These amendments aim to refine compliance mechanisms and clarify obligations, but key challenges for construction and infrastructure supply chains remain unresolved, including forensic difficulties with identifying transport costs and determining which parties fall within scope.

Recent Australian Public Service census data reveals a growing trend in flexible work arrangements, supported by new enterprise agreement provisions. Two landmark Fair Work Commission decisions in Naden and Westpac now provide critical guidance on how employers must handle flexible work requests, highlighting the mandatory requirements and potential consequences of non-compliance that could result in orders granting employee requests even when business grounds exist for refusal.