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From 22 January 2026, Australia’s new Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026 creates serious criminal liability for anyone who funds, supports, or promotes prohibited hate groups. Businesses are not exempt. The Act’s broad definitions of ‘support’ and ‘funding’ mean that ordinary commercial activity, from charitable donations to supplier contracts, can now carry criminal risk.

Most prospective franchisors are focused, reasonably enough, on the beginning; the first territory, the first franchisee, the first year of trading. The exit is, at best, a distant abstraction. But the decisions made at the outset of a franchise system shape the value of that system more than almost any other factor, and by the time a founder is actively preparing for sale, most of the choices that will determine the valuation have already been made. The exit is not an event at the end of the journey. It is a design principle that either runs through the system from day one, or does not.

Franchising in Australia operates under a well-developed legal regime. The Franchising Code of Conduct, which has the force of law under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), sets minimum standards for disclosure, franchise agreements, and the conduct of the franchise relationship.