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?

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

AUSTRAC's section 167 notices represent a powerful investigative tool that can compel Tranche 2 entities to prove their AML/CTF compliance through documentary evidence. While much attention has focused on implementing compliance frameworks, the real test comes when organisations must substantiate their efforts under regulatory scrutiny. Can your business prove what it claims to have done?

Australian regulators are accelerating enforcement activity across AI governance, online safety, financial crime, private credit, ESG disclosure, and corporate bribery as new legislative frameworks take effect. With technology-enabled oversight replacing traditional transition periods, businesses face heightened scrutiny and compressed implementation timelines that demand immediate compliance readiness rather than gradual adaptation.

ASIC has intensified enforcement actions against Responsible Managers who fail to meet 'fit and proper' standards, raising critical questions about competency, character, and regulatory compliance in financial services.