Australia: Government, Public Sector

Foreign purchasers and permanent residents buying property in NSW face significantly increased surcharge duties and land tax obligations following the 2024-25 State Budget changes. With surcharge rates now at 9% for purchaser duty and 5% for land tax, understanding eligibility requirements—including the critical 200-day presence rule—has become essential to avoid costly compliance errors that Revenue NSW actively audits.

The most significant shift in Australian tax enforcement is not tax rates, but the convergence of transparency, enforcement and foreign investment scrutiny – elevating tax into a first‑order governance and reputational risk for boards.

The final FY2026-27 budgets have now been delivered, with New South Wales and Queensland releasing their budgets today (23 June 2026) and the ACT and South Australian budgets...

Australia’s 2026/27 Federal Budget indicates a shift towards prioritising onshore visa applicants and reforms that target highly skilled and qualified migrants in the medium to long term.

The Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Bill 2026 represents a comprehensive overhaul of New South Wales' building approvals regime, introducing significant reforms to streamline processes and support housing targets.

Modern slavery can infiltrate any Australian business's supply chain, yet many organisations remain uncertain about their reporting obligations under the Modern Slavery Act 2018. With proposed reforms threatening to lower reporting thresholds and introduce financial penalties for the first time, understanding whether your business must lodge an annual modern slavery statement has become critical for compliance and reputation management.

The Australian Government has identified Western Australia as the location of Henderson Defence Precinct and the operational hub for AUKUS.

The Australian Government has identified Western Australia as the location of Henderson Defence Precinct and the operational hub for AUKUS.

In the 2026-27 Budget, the Government announced a package of legislative, policy and practice reforms to further streamline and strengthen Australia's foreign investment framework.

The Australian Government has identified Western Australia as the location of Henderson Defence Precinct and the operational hub for AUKUS.

On 7 May 2026, the Federal Government announced a mandatory domestic gas reservation scheme, to be legislated through Parliament.

The Albanese Government has introduced the Workplace Relations Legislation Amendment (Building Cooperative Workplaces No 1) Bill 2026 (the Bill), proposing a range of amendments across Australia’s workplace relations framework.