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The Australian Treasurer has announced major reforms to Australia’s foreign investment regime.  On the one hand there is some welcome relief and greater regulatory clarity for investment in sensitive sectors and on the other hand, the introduction of a national security test, stronger enforcement powers, greater compliance monitoring and harsher penalties.
Continue Reading Major reforms to Australia’s foreign investment in 2021

Australia’s clean, green and natural food and agribusiness sector punches above its weight, producing enough food to feed approximately 60m people when its current population is just over 25m. …
Continue Reading Recent food and agribusiness M&A in Australia – Toiling for nature’s gifts from the golden soil

By King & Wood Mallesons

What are the main features of Australia’s tax system?

Australia has a comprehensive tax regime with taxes imposed at both the Federal level and the State/Territory level. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is responsible for administering the tax laws imposed at the Federal level and each State and Territory has a different body which administers the tax laws imposed in that particular jurisdiction
Continue Reading Doing Business in AU丨Features of our Tax System

By King & Wood Mallesons
What environmental issues need to be considered?
Environmental considerations are important to proposed developments in Australia and to the continued operation of most projects and ventures. Australia has over 300 Acts (and numerous regulations under those Acts) relating to environmental matters, and more than 80 agencies or authorities at both Federal and State level, so it is a potentially complex area.
Continue Reading Doing Business in AU丨Impacting our World

Can foreign workers be employed in Australia?
Australia’s migration system is geared towards enabling individuals with highly valued skills to work in Australia.
There are a number of pathways available to ensure that businesses have the right expertise from around the world. These pathways fit into three different visa classes.
Continue Reading Doing Business in AU丨Foreign Employees

Energy – the new renewable energy future
Despite coal’s dominance as Australia’s primary energy source, there has also been a steady uptake in renewable sources of energy, primarily in wind and solar. With increasing momentum to meet Australia’s renewable energy target by 2020 and technological improvements, there are growing opportunities for investment in Australia’s renewables sector, particularly for investors willing to take greater price risks. In 2016 alone, 17.3% of Australia’s electricity was generated from renewable energy sources and large-scale renewable investment was five times greater than 2015, representing an investment of over A$4 billion.
Continue Reading Doing Business in AU丨Sector Study: Energy and Resources

By Alex Maschmedt & Rebecca Searle King & Wood Mallesons’ Melbourne office.

As driverless vehicles become more sophisticated and their economic and societal benefits become more widely accepted, competition is heating up between Australia’s State Governments (which are responsible for setting road rules and managing road infrastructure) to attract trials of driverless vehicles on their roads.

If you are developing Autonomous Vehicle technology or infrastructure, or looking to apply it in your business, the success of implementation will rest heavily on your (and your supplier’s) ability to test this piece of innovation. Understanding the legislative regimes that apply to testing in Australia will help you to make sure your tests are compliant and you can maximise the benefits of that testing. 
Continue Reading Driverless vehicle trial legislation – state-by-state