The Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission has released their annual charity report analysing the activity of 51,536 charities over 2022. The report looks at the revenue, expenses and equity of charities in Australia, with a focus on extra small charities and the impact the cost of living crisis has had on those charities.  

The Commonwealth Government has issued its response to the Independent Review of the Franchising Code of Conduct conducted in December 2023, with changes expected in 2025.

The Victorian Government launches the Regional Tourism Investment Fund 2024, aiding tourism projects in rural and regional Victoria. Grants up to $5M available. Eligibility open to various entities. Apply by July 19, 2024.

The 2024/25 Federal Budget has announced $6.2 billion of new initiatives in the budget to respond to Australia’s housing shortage.

The Supreme Court of Victoria has determined that wind farm infrastructure (such as wind turbines, towers and wind-monitoring buildings) were chattels, rather than fixtures.

On 22 March 2020, the Australian Government, as part of its economic response to the Coronavirus, announced temporary relief measures for financially distressed businesses.

Web content can be challenging for those with a disability to navigate and understand. All Victorian Government online services and departments working directly with people with a disability, must ensure internal and external digital content meets certain accessibility standards. For private sector businesses, these standards can also provide a great guide on what to aim for in your communications.

Although digital manipulation of images and video has been around for some time, the combination of software that improves the realism of the fake and the speed at which fakes can be generated and disseminated to targeted audiences has made headlines in the political sphere over the last year or so. The manipulation of video images using artificial intelligence has been called ‘deepfake’, a portmanteau of ‘deep learning’ and ‘fake’.

Although digital manipulation of images and video has been around for some time, the combination of software that improves the realism of the fake and the speed at which fakes can be generated and disseminated to targeted audiences has made headlines in the political sphere over the last year or so.  The manipulation of video images using artificial intelligence has been called ‘deepfake’, a portmanteau of ‘deep learning’ and ‘fake’.

Under the Local Government Act 1989, Victorian local Councils must use their resources efficiently and effectively and provide services in accordance with best-value principles to meet the needs of the local community, and improve the quality of life in the local community.

At any stage of the procurement lifecycle – from tender writing to final negotiations – accurately and completely describing what you are buying is critical…and rarely straightforward.  Here are some of our thoughts on getting this right.

A “lack of probity” is often raised in a procurement context as part of a complaint that there is an element of perceived unfairness.  It is an easy allegation to make, and one that is often made easier when organisations do not take the time to understand probity and embed it into their procurement practices. 

New data has shown how businesses across regional Victoria have taken advantage of the Victorian Government’s regional payroll tax cuts.  The number show businesses have saved more than $31 million in the first financial year it was introduced.

This week the government released the Board of Taxation report on a new tax residency model for individuals with a position that further analysis and consideration on the key recommendations is required before the Government takes a position. 

Harwood Andrews has acted for the City of Greater Geelong in a successful prosecution of the owners of ‘the Ritz’ - a prominent heritage listed building located on Bellerine Street, Geelong.

Contrary to common belief, local councils and officers acting on their behalf are subject to the provisions of the Competition & Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), just like any other entity engaged in trade or commerce.