Govt closes loopholes in workplace laws

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There have been changes to workplace relation laws as the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023 received royal assent in December.

Part one of the bill has been passed, with changes coming into effect from December onwards. Part two will be debated in early 2024.

Changes to the

Protect yourself against underquoting when buying property

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In November, CoreLogic’s home value index showed a 3% increase in property values in Melbourne. But as prices rise and the market becomes tighter, how can buyers be sure the price they have been told is not much lower than its likely sales price?

Underquoting is a method sometimes used

New fixed-term contract rules have come into effect

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The regulations that govern fixed-term contracts for employees have changed as of early December.

Starting 6 December, a fixed-term contract you have with an employee must now terminate at the end of a set period. This can include the date set in the contract or a period of time like

Australia’s consumer watchdog calls for new laws for digital platforms

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Australia’s competition regulator and consumer watchdog, the ACCC, has recommended new laws for digital platforms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon as it has identified “widespread, entrenched and systematic” consumer and competition “harms”.

The recommendation came as the ACCC released its fifth progress report on digital platforms since it began

Industry unhappy with new property tax amendments

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The government of Victoria has proposed several amendments to the state’s property taxation laws.

New amendments explained

Under the amendments, the revenue office hopes to expand vacant residential land tax to all vacant residential land in Victoria from the 2025 tax year. The amendments also expand the definition of vacant

How to follow the law when increasing rent

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A Melbourne landlord recently found themselves in hot water after their tenant pointed out an invalid rent increase. The tenant alerted the agent to the improper reasoning given for the increase and was subsequently back-paid for the invalid increase.

As a landlord, it is important you know the ins and

Victoria Unveils Short-stay Levy

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Investors who rent their property out on short-stay accommodation platforms like Airbnb and Stayz will soon face an additional tax charge.

The Victorian government has announced it plans to introduce a 7.5% levy on short-stay rental platforms, effective from 1 January 2025. The fees collected will fund Homes Victoria, supporting

New ACCC Regulations to Penalise Unfair Contract Terms

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You may need to look at the contracts you use in your business because, come 9 November, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will prohibit businesses from using unfair contract terms.

According to the new regulations, courts will have the authority to impose significant penalties on businesses using contracts

The Hidden Risks of DIY Conveyancing

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As Australia’s spring selling season kicks off, some vendors might consider going down the do-it-yourself (DIY) conveyancing route to save money. But while it can be tempting, particularly given the current cost of living, there are many risks involved in managing your own conveyancing.

Providing legal protection

When using a

Defamation on Social Media Sparks Legal Challenges

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Two cases in Australia in the last few months have once again highlighted the need to exercise caution when posting on social media. The two cases, one in Queensland and one in Western Australia, concern statements of defamation posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In 2021, changes to Victorian defamation

Victorian government considering rent cap

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Melbourne might be Australia’s most affordable city to rent a house, with a median rent of $520 per week during the June quarter, according to Domain’s house price report.

But nonetheless, the state government recently indicated it’s considering rent controls as part of a new housing package. The rent controls

What happens if your property developer goes bust?

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The construction of 1,700 dwellings is in limbo after builder Porter Davis Homes collapsed. Of these, about 250 homes were close to completion, according to the liquidator Grant Thornton.

Although several companies wanted to buy some of Porter Davis Homes’ assets, no buyers were willing to buy all the assets

What are employers’ responsibilities for workplace safety?

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In April, Prestige Truck Bodies was fined $225,000 for creating unsafe working conditions after a worker was crushed to death. The workers were lifting heavy materials which slipped and crushed the floor manager.

In this case the employer should have trained the employees to recognise that a container was unsafely

How to protect your intellectual property

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When you use a brand name or specific mark, you should register it as a trademark to prevent other Australian businesses from using it.

Before registering a trademark, IP Australia will check that there aren’t competing trademarks in Australia, but not internationally.

Registering a trademark protects it in all the

Treasury considers regulatory changes for buy-now-pay-later sector

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Currently, buy-now-pay-layer services like Afterpay, Zip and Klarna are exempt from laws designed to protect consumers from taking out credit they can’t afford.

That’s because BNPL providers don’t charge customers interest so, technically, the product they provide isn’t credit.

However, following concerns consumers are racking up unaffordable debts, the sector

What the Fair Work Legislation Amendment Act means for your business

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The federal government’s Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Act became law in December 2022.

The act amends several existing workplace rules and introduces new ones with the aim of boosting wage growth and job security, tackling gender inequality and modernising the workplace bargaining system.

By far the

Australian construction industry at ‘pivotal point’

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Unprecedented construction activity is being seen across all sectors and in all Australian states and territories, according to a new report from Rider Levett Bucknall.

The September 2022 quarter report from the global construction, property and management consultancy said the Australian construction industry is at a “pivotal point” with decade

Australia set to radically overhaul environmental laws

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The federal government has released its ‘Nature Positive Plan: Better for the Environment, Better for Business’ in response to Professor Graeme Samuel’s independent review of Australia’s 1999 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The response commits the federal government to establishing a new environmental protection agency (EPA) with the power

Your rights when a business goes bust

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Melbourne-based Hallbury Homes entered administration in January, with 50 projects on its books, according to The Property Tribune.

While Hallbury Homes is the latest casualty in Australia’s embattled building industry, challenging trading conditions aren’t limited to the construction sector – with nearly 4,000 corporate insolvencies occurring over the 2021-22 financial

Independent review of the Modernising Business Registers program announced

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The federal government has announced that the Modernising Business Register program will be independently reviewed after Treasury estimated it would cost $1 billion more than originally budgeted for under the previous government.

The Modernising Business Register project will see more than 30 ASIC business registers consolidated into a single platform

ChatGPT and copyright: a legal minefield

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ChatGPT has taken the world by storm since its release in November 2022, with the chatbot signing up 1 million users in just five days (a milestone it took Netflix 41 months to pass). 

And while some have delighted with ChatGPT’s ability to generate eloquent responses to prompts by users,

What happens when a commercial tenant can’t pay their rent?

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Commercial rent collection in Victoria has tumbled, falling from 88% at the beginning of the year to 70% in May, according to data property management platform Re-Leased.

The industrial sector has been hit particularly hard, as rising petrol prices have taken their toll on companies’ bottom lines. As a result,

Victoria state government urged to review stamp duty

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The New South Wales government is planning to overhaul its property tax regime by giving first home buyers the choice between making a one-off, upfront stamp duty payment or paying a smaller, annual land tax instead.

This prompted the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, Housing Industry Association and Australian Property

What should you do when you haven’t been paid?

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Cash flow is the lifeblood of every small business, which is why it’s challenging for businesses to meet their expenses when customers are slow to pay their bills.

Unfortunately, though, it’s a common problem, with more than half of Australia’s big businesses failing to pay their small suppliers on time,

Victorian Homebuyer Fund down to 200 places

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The Victorian government’s shared equity scheme has proven very popular, with the program down to its last 200 places, according to new figures from the State Revenue Office.

The figures show the $500 million Homebuyer Fund had invested more than $260 million by the end of June this year, helping

Victorian Homebuyer Fund down to 200 places

This post was originally published on this site

The Victorian government’s shared equity scheme has proven very popular, with the program down to its last 200 places, according to new figures from the State Revenue Office.

The figures show the $500 million Homebuyer Fund had invested more than $260 million by the end of June this year, helping

What should you do when you haven’t been paid?

This post was originally published on this site

Cash flow is the lifeblood of every small business, which is why it’s challenging for businesses to meet their expenses when customers are slow to pay their bills.

Unfortunately, though, it’s a common problem, with more than half of Australia’s big businesses failing to pay their small suppliers on time,

Victoria state government urged to review stamp duty

This post was originally published on this site

The New South Wales government is planning to overhaul its property tax regime by giving first home buyers the choice between making a one-off, upfront stamp duty payment or paying a smaller, annual land tax instead.

This prompted the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, Housing Industry Association and Australian Property

What happens when a commercial tenant can’t pay their rent?

This post was originally published on this site

Commercial rent collection in Victoria has tumbled, falling from 88% at the beginning of the year to 70% in May, according to data property management platform Re-Leased.

The industrial sector has been hit particularly hard, as rising petrol prices have taken their toll on companies’ bottom lines. As a result,

New City of Melbourne construction code takes effect

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Planning on building or developing property in central Melbourne? A new code of practice for building, construction and works in the City of Melbourne took effect on March 17.

This regulatory framework sets out the requirements that must be put in place at construction sites to ensure the safety and

How to avoid commercial disputes

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Commercial disputes are inevitable no matter the industry.

Take, for example, a long-running dispute between construction giant CIMIC and engineering services firm JKC Australia, which has just ended with CIMIC agreeing to make a $492.5 million payment.

That obviously wasn’t a good result for CIMIC. But the battle, which lasted

What happens if your builder goes bust?

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A perfect storm of rising costs, supply issues and labour shortages has hit the Australian building industry, compounding problems caused by Covid-19 shutdowns.

As a result, several building firms have collapsed in recent months – including industry giants Probuild and Condev.

Master Builders Victoria has already warned these challenging business

Liquor Laws Overhaul To Revitalise Victoria’s Nightlife

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Victoria’s hospitality sector has been given a welcome boost, under new liquor reforms announced by the state government.

The new rules will mean bars, hotels, restaurants and cafes will now be able to serve alcohol until 1am without having to apply for a change to their licence (subject to any

Victoria’s Real Estate Industry Put Under Review

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Victoria’s real estate industry has been placed under greater scrutiny, after the state government announced a review of underquoting laws, off-the-plan sales and agent conduct.

The review comes amid heightened affordability concerns due to rapid rises in property prices. So the public is being encouraged to have their say on

3 Questions to Ask a Lawyer When Starting a Business

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After almost two years, Australia is reopening its international borders again to fully vaccinated travellers. The move will likely give a significant boost to our economy, thanks to the return of tourists, business travellers and migrants.

So if you’ve been considering starting a business, this could be your year to

Rent relief extended for commercial tenants

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The Victorian Government has extended the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme (CTRS) for two months until 15 March 2022.

CTRS is designed to support struggling retail and commercial tenants and encourage renegotiation of terms.

Alongside the extension come new regulations. While the 2022 regulations are broadly similar to the previous CTRS