New federal laws

Regional radio and television broadcasters and their audiences in regional Australia may be affected by changes to broadcasting licence conditions or continuity requirements.

10 Dec 2024·In force

People whose personal information is held by organisations are affected by changes to privacy laws and how their data can be used and protected.

Amends privacy and criminal law, covering children's online privacy, data breaches, overseas data transfers, privacy penalties, serious invasions of privacy, and doxxing offences.

10 Dec 2024·In force

People under a specified age are banned from using social media platforms, and platforms face penalties for failing to enforce the age restriction.

Amends the Online Safety Act 2021 to require certain social media platforms to take reasonable steps to stop Australian children under 16 holding accounts.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Midwives and maternity services are affected by changes to Commonwealth funding for professional indemnity insurance.

10 Dec 2024·In force

People buying their first home who meet income and property price caps may access government equity in their purchase, reducing the deposit they need to pay.

Sets up a scheme letting Housing Australia enter shared equity home-buying arrangements for the Commonwealth, to help lower- and middle-income people buy homes.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Businesses that manufacture or import certain goods in Australia may face charges related to proving the origin of their products.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Manufacturers and exporters of eligible goods must meet local content requirements to use a government 'made in Australia' mark.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Businesses and workers in clean energy, critical minerals, and advanced manufacturing gain access to new tax credits and investment support to build these industries in Australia.

Creates a National Interest Framework for assessing sectors for public investment, and sets community benefit principles decision-makers must consider when providing "Future Made in Australia" support.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Students at Australian universities gain access to a new ombudsman scheme to lodge complaints about their university's decisions and conduct.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Consumers using buy now pay later services face new rules on fees and interest, and lenders must meet stronger affordability checks.

Amends Treasury laws in relation to buy now pay later arrangements, described in the title as 'responsible', plus other unspecified measures.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Early childhood education and care workers and the services they work for are affected by changes to funding and wage support arrangements.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Businesses conducting mergers and acquisitions, and the Foreign Investment Review Board when assessing foreign takeovers, face changed procedural and threshold rules.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Families, farmers, and eligible taxpayers receive changes to tax offsets, deductions, and other financial entitlements affecting their tax bills and payments.

Amends various Treasury laws covering consumer safety and information standards, Housing Australia's special account cap, industry code penalties, deductible gift recipient listings, and technical tax and corporate changes.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Large multinational companies operating in Australia face new minimum tax obligations under global and domestic tax rules.

Makes consequential changes to Treasury laws to fit alongside Australia's global and domestic minimum tax rules for multinational businesses.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Large multinational companies face new minimum tax obligations on their global and domestic income.

A principal Act that formally imposes a global and domestic minimum tax relating to multinational businesses, as described in its title.

10 Dec 2024·In force

Students and universities are affected through changes to student loans, university funding, and fees for different courses.

Amends higher education law on how study loan debts are indexed, student services fees, fee-free preparatory courses, placement payments, and the Adelaide University merger.

5 Dec 2024·In force

People facing immigration removal and visa cancellation have new grounds and processes applied to their cases.

Amends the Migration Act 1958 on removing non-citizens from Australia, designating "removal concern countries", bridging visas, protection findings and ministerial intervention powers.

4 Dec 2024·In force

People held in immigration detention facilities will be prohibited from possessing certain items.

4 Dec 2024·In force

People applying for or holding visas, and employers hiring migrant workers, face changes to migration eligibility, processing, or visa conditions.

Amends the Migration Act 1958 in relation to bridging visas for people awaiting removal, arrangements with third countries, information sharing, and civil liability.

4 Dec 2024·In force

Older people in aged care facilities, their families, and aged care providers face changes to funding, standards, staffing requirements, and how care is delivered.

Sets up Commonwealth aged care law: who can access funded aged care services, how providers are registered and regulated, and how those services are funded.

2 Dec 2024·In force

Intelligence agencies gain expanded powers to conduct cyber operations and share intelligence, affecting how government responds to cyber threats.

29 Nov 2024·In force

Operators of critical infrastructure (energy, water, communications, transport) face new security requirements, reporting obligations, and potential penalties for non-compliance.

29 Nov 2024·In force

People who deal with the Reserve Bank are affected by changes to its governance, accountability, and operational arrangements.

29 Nov 2024·In force

Aboriginal land claim groups in the Northern Territory who hold land under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act may have their land titles affected by changes to how land is scheduled.

29 Nov 2024·In force

Organisations handling personal or essential services data must meet new cybersecurity standards, and face penalties for serious breaches.

Sets Commonwealth cyber security rules, covering security standards for internet-connectable products, reporting of ransomware payments, coordination of major incidents, and a Cyber Incident Review Board.

29 Nov 2024·In force

Students in Australian schools and their families are affected through changes to school funding arrangements and education policy.

Amends the Australian Education Act 2013, changing how Commonwealth and State school funding shares are set and adding school funding transparency and reporting requirements.

29 Nov 2024·In force

People charged with crimes face changed offences and penalties; victims and witnesses may experience altered court processes and protections.

An omnibus Act changing several Commonwealth criminal law, law enforcement and telecommunications laws, including police seizure of digital assets and the value of a penalty unit.

24 Oct 2024·In force

Naval personnel and defence workers involved in nuclear-powered submarines must comply with new safety and operational standards.

24 Oct 2024·In force

Importers and exporters trading with CPTPP member countries face changed tariff rates on goods, affecting prices and costs across multiple industries.

Amends Australia's customs tariff law to set import duty rates connected with the expansion of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

24 Oct 2024·In force

People on paid parental leave will receive superannuation contributions on their payments, affecting retirement savings for eligible parents.

Amends paid parental leave law to add superannuation contributions for people receiving government-funded parental leave pay, with the stated aim of boosting retirement savings.

1 Oct 2024·In force

Timber importers and domestic timber traders must comply with stronger rules to prove wood products are legally harvested.

17 Sept 2024·In force

Businesses and organisations across the economy may face new reporting requirements and engagement with a government authority overseeing net zero transition plans.

17 Sept 2024·In force

10 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

This Act makes technical changes to legislation to align with the Aged Care Act 2024, rather than creating new policy for aged care users or providers.

10 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

The title doesn't say who this affects or what changes to schools it makes.

10 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

This Act makes technical amendments to other laws to align with the Help to Buy scheme.

10 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

Amends existing laws to align with the Future Made in Australia scheme's guarantee of origin requirements and transition rules.

10 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

This amends various Acts to support the Future Made in Australia agenda; the specific impacts depend on which Acts are changed and how.

10 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

The title doesn't say who this affects; it appears to make technical changes to laws following other payment surcharge legislation.

2 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

2 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

2 Dec 2024·In force·Routine legislation

This Act provides transitional arrangements for nuclear power safety regulations affecting naval nuclear propulsion operations during legislative transition.

24 Oct 2024·In force·Routine legislation

1 Oct 2024·In force·Routine legislation

26 Sept 2024·In force·Routine legislation

17 Sept 2024·In force·Routine legislation