When is a bailment a PPS lease under the PPSA?

Construction businesses can appear profitable while facing severe cash flow crises. Victor Zhou, a fractional CFO specializing in construction, reveals why cash shortages develop in building and development firms, how to spot warning signs before it's too late, and why securing additional funding often masks deeper structural problems that continue draining resources.

The Australian Government has unveiled its Financial Innovation Strategy, introducing a new Financial Innovation Committee and overhauling the Enhanced Regulatory Sandbox framework to better support emerging businesses testing innovative financial products. The strategy encompasses reforms across consumer data rights, digital assets, tokenised infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks designed to position Australia as a leader in financial innovation.

A Queensland Supreme Court case demonstrates how a poorly drafted deed of priority left a lender unable to recover $32.3 million in development completion costs ahead of a junior lender's debt. The decision reveals critical gaps in standard priority deed language when a developer collapses and a mortgagee must fund completion from their own resources.

Last month’s National Vintage Report put the 2026 crush at just 1.27 million tonnes, down 19% year-on-year, the smallest harvest this century. Red production collapsed by 29%, and exports declined to their lowest level since 2004.

On 24 August 2026, ASIC released its 2026-2027 Corporate Plan, announcing that it is committed to being easier to deal with for those trying to comply with the law, while being harder to avoid for those causing harm.

From 4 December 2026, enhanced substantial holding disclosure and beneficial ownership disclosure obligations will apply to entities listed on Australian securities exchanges.

Recent NSW planning reforms have fundamentally altered the appeal process for deemed refusals of development applications, removing the previous six-month limitation period. Understanding these changes is critical...

The sustained growth of fund financing in private credit is strengthening the relationship between banks and private credit participants as the market continues to scale.

When does a high default interest rate cross the line from legitimate compensation to an unenforceable penalty? A recent NSW Supreme Court case examines the principles governing default interest provisions in loan agreements, revealing the critical factors lenders must consider when structuring their interest rate terms. The decision provides essential guidance on what evidence lenders need to justify material increases in default rates and how courts will assess whether such provisions constitute genuine p

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.

APRA and ASIC have issued coordinated guidance on frontier AI risks, requiring financial services boards to demonstrate direct oversight of AI governance, cyber resilience and third-party dependencies. The regulators' expectations build on existing prudential standards and directors' duties, with enforcement signals indicating that proportionate action must be taken before incidents occur.

Australia's Privacy Act reform has reached a critical milestone with the release of exposure draft legislation proposing fundamental changes to how organisations handle personal information. The reforms introduce a new 'fair and reasonable' test for data collection and use, a right of erasure for large digital platforms, strengthened consent standards, a statutory controller/processor framework, restrictions on trading personal data, and enhanced data breach obligations. These changes come at a time when em

Planning and environmental reforms are reshaping not just approval pathways, but where decision‑making power sits, how legitimacy is earned and how competing policy priorities collide in the delivery of Australia’s next wave of priority projects. The central challenge is no longer speed alone, but whether accelerated delivery can be sustained without undermining confidence, coordination and long‑term outcomes.

A key constraining factor for Australia’s energy transition is the need to convert increasingly complex and interdependent market, regulatory and infrastructure signals into bankable project structures which deliver internationally competitive returns – and to do so at scale and speed.

The Dexus v APAC decision provides important guidance on nominee directors, conflicts of duty and governance in consortium-owned entities, offering practical lessons for infrastructure, private capital and investment structures.

Critical minerals policy is shifting from a focus on export opportunity to a question of national security, energy resilience and regulatory control. As global demand accelerates and nuclear power is repositioned as a strategic energy source, Australia’s export‑focused and restrictive uranium framework is under increasing pressure.

Australia's director identification number regime has evolved from initial implementation to routine governance compliance. Recent legislative reforms strengthen ASIC's enforcement powers and integrate DINs more closely into corporate registry processes, requiring companies to embed verification procedures into director appointments, succession planning and ASIC reporting.

Australia’s social and affordable housing agenda is no longer constrained by policy intent alone – it is increasingly defined by how capital, risk and delivery are structured across the system. While funding has expanded, it remains finite, and will not, on its own, sustain delivery at the scale required. The central challenge is whether the system is configured to deploy that capital effectively, or whether structural barriers will continue to constrain supply.

Joint venture exit risk is no longer determined primarily by formal exit rights, but by whether the underlying confidentiality, information access and governance frameworks can operate effectively in a live sale process. Where they cannot, transaction outcomes – including price, timing and even viability – become materially exposed.

Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 reforms continue to progress, with the commencement of further provisions and the introduction of four new National Environmental Standards.