New federal laws

Creators, publishers and anyone who uses copyright material — this changes copyright law.

Amends the Copyright Act 1968, covering orphan works, remote learning, Copyright Tribunal appointments, listed archives, notifiable instruments, and the duration of Crown copyright.

1 Apr 2026·In force

University students and staff, under a new national tertiary education commission.

Sets up the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, a national body to oversee and advise on higher education, following the Universities Accord review.

1 Apr 2026·In force

Consumers and businesses, as penalties the ACCC can seek for breaches are doubled.

Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to double certain maximum penalty amounts for breaches of competition and consumer law enforced by the ACCC.

27 Mar 2026·In force

Anyone with superannuation, with changes to how they choose and move between funds.

Changes superannuation choice rules for new employees, limits super advertising during onboarding, and makes other tax changes covering Rugby World Cups, a Portugal tax treaty, charity gifts and wine tax.

26 Mar 2026·In force

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, under a new national commission.

Continues the National Commissioner and National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, setting out their functions, powers and information-handling rules.

26 Mar 2026·In force

People applying for or holding visas, under changes to migration law.

Amends the Migration Act 1958 to create "arrival control" powers letting the Minister temporarily suspend temporary visas held by specified classes of non-citizens outside Australia.

13 Mar 2026·In force

Anyone with superannuation, and the employers paying into it.

Amends Commonwealth taxation and superannuation law in relation to superannuation tax concessions; the detailed changes are not determinable from the title alone.

13 Mar 2026·In force

People giving information to royal commissions, who gain protections for doing so.

Amends Royal Commissions law, and related Commonwealth laws, dealing with the legal protections that apply to people who provide information to a Royal Commission.

13 Mar 2026·In force

Superannuation funds and employers, imposing charges under the wider super changes.

Imposes tax on certain superannuation earnings at 15%, plus an extra 10% on the part linked to very large superannuation balances.

13 Mar 2026·In force

People seeking review of government decisions at the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Amends tribunal and migration law covering when the Administrative Review Tribunal can decide reviews without a hearing, plus tribunal acting-President and delegation rules.

9 Feb 2026·In force

Changes firearms and customs law dealing with antisemitism, hate and extremism.

Amends Australian customs and firearms laws, including background-checking arrangements and a firearms buyback scheme, as part of measures directed at antisemitism, hate and extremism.

21 Jan 2026·In force

Changes criminal and migration law dealing with antisemitism, hate and extremism.

Amends criminal and migration laws dealing with hate crimes, hate symbols, urging violence, prohibited hate groups, and visa decisions connected to antisemitism, hate and extremism.

21 Jan 2026·In force

Schools, universities and training providers, under integrity measures in education law.

Amends existing education legislation, including changes the title describes as integrity measures; the specific changes aren't determinable from the title alone.

4 Dec 2025·In force

Anyone who uses streaming services, which must now carry a minimum amount of Australian content.

Amends communications law to set Australian content requirements for certain subscription video on demand (streaming) services.

4 Dec 2025·In force

VET students with student loans, and the providers delivering their courses.

Retrospectively authorises the handling of student tax file numbers by VET student loan administrators between 2017 and 2025, and provides for compensation in certain property acquisition cases.

4 Dec 2025·In force

Australia's intelligence agencies and the bodies that oversee them.

Amends laws relating to Australia's intelligence services, dealing with how agencies in the national intelligence community are overseen and scrutinised.

4 Dec 2025·In force

Importers and exporters trading under the Geelong Treaty.

Amends the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to define the Australia–UK Geelong Treaty on nuclear-powered submarines and give a free rate of import duty to goods used under it.

4 Dec 2025·In force

Banks, insurers and other financial institutions, and the people who use them.

Amends a range of Treasury-related laws — covering corporations, competition and consumer, charities, taxation and financial regulator assessment matters — along with minor and technical statute law changes.

4 Dec 2025·In force

Businesses paying excise-linked charges under the environment protection changes.

Lets regulations impose charges, treated as excise duties and taxes, on matters connected with administering the national environment and biodiversity protection law.

1 Dec 2025·In force

Businesses paying general charges under the environment protection changes.

Allows charges — other than customs or excise duties — to be set by regulation for matters connected with administering the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

1 Dec 2025·In force

Businesses paying customs-linked charges under the environment protection changes.

Creates a standalone law allowing charges that are customs duties to be imposed in connection with administering Australia's national environment and biodiversity protection law.

1 Dec 2025·In force

Businesses paying a restoration charge under the environment protection changes.

Imposes charges connected with restoration of the environment, operating alongside Commonwealth environment protection and biodiversity conservation law.

1 Dec 2025·In force

Researchers, industry and the public relying on national environmental information.

Creates the role of Head of Environment Information Australia, responsible for national environmental information, data, State of the Environment reports and environmental economic accounts.

1 Dec 2025·In force

Anyone affected by environmental decisions, under a new national environmental protection agency.

Sets up the National Environmental Protection Agency, a Commonwealth body led by an independent Chief Executive Officer who carries out functions under existing federal environmental laws.

1 Dec 2025·In force

People dealing with immigration and border processes under home affairs law.

Amends migration and citizenship law about personal identifiers, including photographs of a person's face, and about special residence requirements for citizenship.

1 Dec 2025·In force

Businesses, landholders and communities affected by federal environmental approvals.

Changes existing Commonwealth laws about protecting the environment; the title does not reveal what specific changes are made.

1 Dec 2025·In force

The public health system and anyone affected by disease control, under a new national centre.

Sets up the Australian Centre for Disease Control as a Commonwealth body dealing with public health matters, including disease control, health emergencies and public health advice.

10 Nov 2025·In force

Technical corrections to social security legislation; no change to payments.

1 Apr 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Consequential and transitional provisions accompanying the Defence and Veterans' Service Commissioner Act.

1 Apr 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Miscellaneous technical changes across veterans' affairs legislation.

1 Apr 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Authorises government spending on the fuel security response; it does not change payments or taxes itself.

1 Apr 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Authorises government spending on the fuel security response; it does not change payments or taxes itself.

1 Apr 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Consequential and transitional provisions accompanying the tertiary education commission Act.

1 Apr 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Authorises ordinary government spending; it does not change payments, taxes or services.

27 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Authorises ordinary government spending; it does not change payments, taxes or services.

27 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Funds the parliamentary departments for the year; no policy change for the public.

27 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Transitional provisions accompanying the National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children Act.

26 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Administrative changes across Commonwealth entities legislation.

26 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Establishes a parliamentary joint committee on defence.

13 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Technical amendments to corporations review fees.

13 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Review requirements in parliamentary frameworks legislation.

13 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Alignment of Commonwealth law with the renaming of the NSW Local Court.

5 Mar 2026·In force·Routine legislation

Technical corrections to social security legislation; no change to payments.

4 Dec 2025·In force·Routine legislation

Miscellaneous technical changes across veterans' affairs legislation.

4 Dec 2025·In force·Routine legislation

An omnibus of regulatory tidying across multiple portfolios.

4 Dec 2025·In force·Routine legislation