Government Regulation and Public Sector Law

The New South Wales Government has released a comprehensive policy framework for data centre investment, establishing six core principles that developments must address while promising streamlined planning approvals. The framework introduces significant new compliance obligations around energy procurement, cost recovery contributions, and demand flexibility, including a $200,000/MW Major Network Upgrade Fee and requirements for renewable energy agreements with minimum 40% wind component.

The Victorian Government has launched a Royal Commission into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects, examining allegations of corruption, criminal conduct and serious misconduct across major construction projects. The inquiry will scrutinise procurement practices, labour hire arrangements, subcontracting models, supply chains, project governance and government oversight, with implications extending far beyond Victoria's borders.

South Australia has announced a Royal Commission into Artificial Intelligence, set to commence in October 2026 and deliver findings by July 2027. The inquiry will examine AI's economic and social impacts across policy, education, public services, workforce transformation, and infrastructure. Businesses using or developing AI should prepare for potential regulatory reforms and consider engaging with the inquiry process.

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?

On 12 May 2026, Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down what he described as “the most important and ambitious Budget in decades”. The backdrop was demanding: a global oil shock driven by conflict in the Middle East, headline inflation forecast to reach 5% by mid-2026, and sustained cost-of-living pressure on households and businesses.

The 2026-27 Federal Budget faces the challenge of balancing ambition with caution amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty. With rumoured reforms to capital gains tax discounts, trust taxation, and negative gearing on the table, businesses are seeking clarity on policy settings that could fundamentally reshape investment structures and tax planning strategies. Will the government pursue transformative reform or opt for measured adjustments to strengthen national resilience?

Australia's 2026-27 federal budget introduces sweeping immigration reforms that will reshape how skilled workers are selected, where temporary visa holders can buy property, and how quickly migrant tradespeople can enter the workforce. The changes mark the first overhaul of the skilled migration points test in over a decade and signal a strategic shift toward prioritizing onshore applicants already living in Australia. What do these policy adjustments mean for employers, migrants, and the broader trajectory

Music festivals are high-energy and chaotic events with thousands of people in attendance – often involving alcohol and illicit drugs. For years, many young people in New South Wales were taken into tents and portable cubicles at music festivals for strip searches, told to remove their clothing, and made to squat, bend or lift body parts while police looked on. This process is obviously extremely demeaning, and forces people into extremely uncomfortable positions at the demand of authorities.

Supply chain due diligence is evolving from a voluntary process into multi‑functional compliance obligations. As overlapping regulatory regimes impose distinct and increasingly prescriptive requirements, organisations must ensure their due diligence frameworks can meet multiple legal obligations simultaneously, without sacrificing effectiveness or creating additional exposure.

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