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Corruption and Integrity Update April 2025

In this edition of the Queensland Corruption and Integrity Update we consider various updates related to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) and its governing legislation, as well as updates from the Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC). Crime and Corruption Commission updates CCC’s Quarterly Report Number 9   On 7 April 2025, the CCC released […]

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Owners Corporation update: Recent VCAT decision highlights the need for further legislative change

Owners Corporation PS738539K v Ka-Po was heard by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT or the Tribunal) where the applicant, Owners Corporation PS738539K (the OC), sought orders pursuant to section 34D of the Subdivision Act 1988 (Vic) (the Act) to alter title boundaries in Plan of Subdivision PS738539K (Ka-Po case). The outcome of the […]

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Heading to the polls: Workplace relations policies in the 2025 Federal Election

Australians will be heading to the polls on Saturday, 3 May 2025.  As campaigning gains momentum, we are seeing more details from the major parties on workplace and industrial relations reforms should they take power. At this stage, neither Labor nor the Coalition have proposed significant industrial relations reform agendas, which is not entirely surprising […]

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Learnings from recent ‘same job, same pay’ cases decided by the Fair Work Commission

In this article, we discuss two recent cases where the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has made or considered making ‘regulated labour hire arrangement orders’ (RLHA Orders), and the key takeaways for employers. Overview of ‘same job, same pay’ orders The ‘same job, same pay’ provisions were introduced in late 2023 under the Fair Work Legislation […]

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Deductions on termination of employment – Are they lawful?

In the recent decision of Bateup v Mornington Shire Council [2025] QIRC 61, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (Commission) ordered an employer to pay its employee the full amount of unpaid wages and annual leave entitlements that the employer had unlawfully deducted from the employee’s final pay. What happened in this case? Mr Bateup commenced […]

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ACCC v Hutchinson: understanding an “understanding”

Gadens acted for Hutchinson Builders (Hutchinson) in a recent High Court case,[1] in which the ACCC unsuccessfully sought to overturn a finding made by the Full Court[2] that an “understanding” for the purposes of s 45E(3) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA) requires communication of assent that precedes and is distinct from […]

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Key Takeaways: VPELA Planning Minster’s Address

Earlier this week, the Gadens Planning & Environment Team attended VPELA’s annual Planning Minister’s Address in Melbourne. Before a packed house of planning industry professionals, the Hon. Sonya Kilkenny MP provided an overview of the suite of planning reforms the Department is currently working through in order to deliver more housing to Victorian, as well a […]

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National Integrity Spotlight – April 2025

In the first quarterly edition of the National Integrity Spotlight for 2025, we consider the latest update to the Corruptions Perception Index, legislative updates on whistleblowing and electoral reform,, and the findings of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the NACC. We also consider updates from the NACC and state-based integrity organisations, as well as a […]

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New guidance for employers on sexual and gender-based harassment in the workplace

On 5 March 2025, the Federal Government approved the Work Health and Safety (Sexual and Gender-based Harassment) Code of Practice 2025 (Code). The Code provides guidance to persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) on how to protect workers against workplace sexual and gender-based harassment. The Code implements recommendation 35 of the Australian Human Rights […]

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Corruption and Integrity Update March 2025

In this edition of the Queensland Corruption and Integrity Update we consider updates arising from the operations and oversight of the Office of the Information Commissioner and the Independent Assessor, as well as taking a deep dive into the proposed legislative amendments relating to the reporting of corruption by the Crime and Corruption Commission. Office […]

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Restricting the restraints: The government’s latest proposal

The Federal Government’s budget announcement on Tuesday included a significant workplace proposal to ban post-employment non-competition restrictions for some employees. A restraint of trade providing for non-competition restrictions are clauses that purport to limit competition with a previous employer for a period of time, and within a specified geographical location, after an employee has left […]

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ASIC succeeds in its third civil penalty prosecution for greenwashing, with the Federal Court imposing a $10.5 million penalty

Court findings On 18 March 2025, his Honour Justice O’Callaghan imposed a civil penalty of $10.5 million on the trustee of a superannuation fund, after finding that the fund had made false or misleading statements to current or potential members of the fund to the effect that: it eliminated from the fund, investments that posed […]

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