Register by 1 August 2016 for free testing. 
As part of its Voluntary Purchase and Demolition Program, the NSW Government is currently offering free loose-fill asbestos testing to homeowners in 28 identified NSW local government areas (including Albury City Council and Greater Hume Shire Council). 

Starting a business needs more than just a great idea. It involves planning, getting your finances in order and of course ticking all the legal boxes. Navigating the legal landscape for a new business can be difficult, so we want to share with you the top five things you need to consider:

Owning property is a big deal. Owning property with another person(s) is an even bigger deal. It is quite common for people who are married or in long term relationships, friends, siblings, or parents and children to pool their savings together to purchase property.

In our previous Time For Action article the deadline for ensuring existing non-commercial limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) loans were put on commercial terms was 30 June 2016. 

Yesterday the Fair Work Commission handed down its Annual Wage Review decision, accessible here. 

Adley Burstyner and Harwood Andrews have announced they are joining forces to work on a claim against milk processors for the current crisis facing Victorian dairy farmers.

On 16 May 2016, the Victorian Government released the long-awaited report of the Independent Inquiry into the EPA (Report), the first comprehensive review of the State’s environmental regulator since its establishment in 1971.

A quick guide to owners corporations
If you are an apartment or unit owner it is likely you are part of an owners corporation. As a member there are certain procedures that must be followed which you may not even be aware of.  It is important that owners corporation members and committee members understand these procedures, their rights and responsibilities.  

Harwood Andrews is a finalist in the 2016 Australasian Law Awards. The firm is nominated for the Boutique Law Firm of the Year award and is one of only eight finalists in the highly acclaimed category.

The ATO has recently released guidelines on its administrative treatment for the application of certain tax issues when interests in ‘no goodwill’ professional partnerships, trusts and incorporated practices (practices) are acquired or disposed. 

The Lantern Legal Group, comprising Harwood Andrews and Sladen Legal, is excited to expand its already broad services by launching its newest division, Adley Burstyner.

On 6 April 2016, the ATO issued Practical Compliance Guidelines PCG 2016/5 Income tax - arm's length terms for Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangements established by self managed superannuation funds (Guideline)

Sale
From 29 April 2016, a vendor selling a property in NSW with a swimming pool or spa pool must include one of the following in the Contract of Sale:

• A valid swimming pool certificate of compliance; or                                                    
• A valid occupation certificate issued under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) that is less than three years old and authorises the use of the swimming pool;  or
• A valid swimming pool certificate of non-compliance.

The Federal Treasury has introduced legislation which aims to create tax incentives for investors by encouraging early stage investment in startups (Bill).

The Bill aims to increase the volume of funding available for startups by offering tax concessions to potential investors.

A claimant liquidator was allowed to join the defendants’ insurer to the proceeding, in circumstances where the defendants were not going to pursue the insurance claim. This case may open up several new ways to utilise a defendant’s insurance, and Sladen Legal has some creative ways this decision can be used to plaintiffs’ benefit.

The Court ordered costs against stakeholders in the plaintiff’s camp and stated that insolvency of a plaintiff insolvency weighs in favour of a cost order against a non-party supporting or directing it.

In December 2015 The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) stated that it would not take active steps to review non-commercial limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA) loans prior to 30 June 2016.  It was recommended that LRBA loans should be put on arm’s length terms by 30 June 2016. If that occurred then the ATO had stated that it would not actively review such non-commercial LRBAs for prior years.

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has, for the first time, commenced legal proceedings against an accounting firm alleging the firm was knowingly involved in underpaying its client’s workers.

Three Fair Work Commission General Manager reports were tabled in the House of Representatives this week. These reports presented research findings for the period May 2012–May 2015. Key findings of each report are as follows.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has found a labour hire company (the employer) unfairly dismissed an employee after the host employer told the employer it did not want the worker at its workplace.