Important Employment Law Changes

30/06/2025 Tomorrow marks the start of a new financial year, and also number of important changes in employment laws. Probably of most significance, as it affects nearly all employees, is the superannuation percentage rate increases from 11.5% to 12%. This means employers must pay 12% of an employee’s remuneration as superannuation to an eligible superannuation …
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Reminder: Charities to submit 2024 Annual Information Statement (AIS) by 30 June 2025

26/06/2025 To meet their ACNC reporting obligations, charities whose financial year operates on a calendar year (1 January to 31 December) are required to submit their 2024 Annual Information Statement (AIS) by 30 June 2025.   What is required?  All charities must complete reporting on financial questions. Medium charities (revenue between $500,000 and $2,999,999) must also submit …
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Breaking down the news – Federal Government’s announcement on Strengthening Child Safety in Early Education

16/06/2025 From 1 September 2025 and 1 January 2026, a number of important updates to the National Quality Framework will take effect to sharpen the focus on child safety and online protection in education and care settings. The Federal Government has announced these reforms in response to recommendations from the national child safety review. The …
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Where is the QR code actually leading you?

You may have used or seen a Quick Response code, more commonly known as a QR code. A QR code is a grided barcode that when scanned with a device’s camera, can take the user to websites, connect to Wi-Fi networks, allow the user to view and order food, download files, authenticate services or even …
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How to tackle privacy risks when using facial recognition and biometrics

In November 2024, following the infamous Bunnings Determination the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) published a guide for organisations in using facial recognition technology (FRT).  The guide walks organisations through how the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) should be applied in the context of using facial recognition technology (FRT) in a commercial setting. FRT …
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Responsible Use of AI in the Australian Government

In 2025, AI no longer only exists in dedicated applications like ChatGPT and OpenAI. It is now integrated with everyday applications, such as Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Word and Excel. Everyone is now using AI as part of work before they realise. Mundane daily tasks like reminders, notetaking and summary-making are automatically generated with the assistance …
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Staying ahead of privacy reforms and building privacy resilience

Amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) increased the enforcement powers of the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), introducing new civil penalty tiers and giving the OAIC the ability to issue infringement notices for minor breaches. This marks the beginning of a stronger regulatory environment for organisations that do not comply …
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OAIC Finds Government Use of Messaging Apps Lacks Oversight

Australian Government Agencies have been urged by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to strengthen their policies on messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook messenger.  On 19 March 2025 the OAIC published ‘Messaging apps: a report on Australian Government agency practices and policies’ highlighting significant gaps in the governance of messaging …
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How can you protect your data from cyber incidents?

In the 2023-24 financial year, Australia saw nearly 94,000 reports of cybercrime submitted to the Australian Cyber Security Centre. This was a 23% increase compared to the previous year.  The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) received over 36,700 calls to its Australian Cybersecurity Hotline, an increase of 12% from the previous financial year. The ASD also …
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