This September update summarises the legislation and regulations flagged in our register across the Commonwealth (Federal), New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
The September register includes updates across privacy and data protection, health records, consumer law, tobacco control, food production safety, energy upgrades, mineral resources, online safety, biosecurity, water management, wine regulation, and commercial fisheries.
At a glance
- Federal (Commonwealth) — 4 instruments (2 new, 2 updated). Key areas include water management and trading, biosecurity travel declarations and approvals, online safety, and wine sector information sharing and enforcement.
- New South Wales (NSW) — 2 instruments (2 updated). Key areas include health records privacy and mandatory data breach notification for public sector agencies.
- Queensland (QLD) — 2 instruments (1 new, 1 updated). Key areas include food production safety and commercial fisheries.
- Victoria (VIC) — 7 instruments (2 new, 5 updated). Key areas include tobacco control, consumer law and fair trading, broad consumer and property law amendments, energy upgrades, mineral resources and privacy and data protection.
What this means for organisations
Organisations should review whether any of the instruments below affect their operations, licences, accreditations, privacy and data handling, customer dealings, reporting, training, service delivery or compliance evidence.
This month’s register is particularly relevant for organisations operating in:
- tobacco retail, hospitality venues and outdoor dining and drinking areas;
- consumer-facing businesses, including debt collection, fuel retail and accommodation;
- real estate, conveyancing, residential tenancies, owners corporations and domestic building;
- health services and organisations that handle health information;
- NSW and Victorian public sector agencies that handle personal information;
- food production and processing, including dairy, eggs, meat, poultry and seafood;
- mining, exploration and energy upgrade scheme participation;
- online services, social media and digital platforms;
- water use and water trading; and
- commercial fishing, the wine sector, and international travel and biosecurity approvals.
Organisations should confirm commencement dates (several instruments commence in stages or by proclamation), check whether existing controls remain suitable, update procedures where needed, and retain evidence of compliance decisions for audit and assurance purposes.
Quick reference
| Legislation | State | Effective date | Summary of changes | Practical recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tobacco Act 1987 | VIC | 09/09/2026 | Extends smoke-free areas and no smoking signage obligations to outdoor dining and drinking areas, playgrounds, skate parks, pools, schools and education and care premises. It also broadens tobacco advertising rules and strengthens closure, licensing and enforcement powers. | Map outdoor areas and buffer zones, install compliant signage, and audit advertising and displays. Review licensing processes and train staff on the ban on sales during closure periods. |
| Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019 | QLD | 02/09/2026 | Consolidates Queensland commercial fisheries controls on licensing, gear, effort and quota management, area restrictions, vessel monitoring and logbook reporting, including the conclusion of the NX net fishery on 30 June 2027. | Review licences, gear specifications and marking, quota and effort records and reporting processes, and plan for transitional deadlines. |
| Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 | VIC | 09/09/2026 | Introduces rules for debt collection, disposal of uncollected goods, credit information correction, introduction agents, accommodation provider liability and fuel price reporting, with expanded enforcement powers and VCAT jurisdiction. | Update debt collection, uncollected goods and credit reporting procedures, including the 30-day correction timeframe. Train staff and update customer-facing terms and notices. |
| Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 | VIC | 09/09/2026 | Sets out a more detailed framework for licence applications, work plan approvals, restrictions near dwellings, waterways and culturally sensitive areas, rehabilitation, declared mine land and trailing liabilities, recognising native title considerations. | Update licensing and work plan procedures, review rehabilitation and post-closure plans, and assess trailing liability exposure. Confirm consents and notices for work near sensitive areas. |
| Energy and Resources Legislation Amendment (VEET Strategic Review and Other Matters) Act 2026 | VIC | 08/09/2026 | Renames the VEET scheme as Victorian Energy Upgrades, adds affordability, equitable access, electrification and demand flexibility objectives, and strengthens Essential Services Commission accreditation, audit and enforcement powers. | Map existing certificates, accreditation and registry data to the new scheme, update procedures, and monitor Ministerial Orders declaring new scheme activities. |
| Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007 | VIC | 09/09/2026 | Updated compilation covering participant accreditation, prescribed activities, certificate creation, transfer and surrender, annual targets, audits, enforcement and VCAT review rights. | Confirm accreditation requirements are met, keep accurate certificate records, apply validation checks to prevent improper certificates, and prepare for compliance audits. |
| Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2026 | VIC | 09/09/2026 | Amends Victorian laws on estate agent price disclosure, residential tenancies, owners corporations, domestic building contracts, prefabricated building systems, motor car traders and illicit tobacco closures. Provisions commence in stages, including 1 October 2026, 1 June 2027 and 1 December 2027. | Identify which amendments apply, map commencement dates, update policies, systems and registers, and train affected staff. |
| Water Act 2007 | Federal | 05/09/2026 | Updated compilation of the Murray–Darling Basin water management framework, covering the Basin Plan, water resource plans, water rights and trading, environmental water recovery, governance, data standards and compliance enforcement. | Review water rights, trading and reporting obligations against current rules and data standards, and maintain records to support inspections. |
| Biosecurity Amendment (Improving Operational Efficiency) Act 2026 | Federal | 16/09/2026 | Introduces Australia Travel Declarations for people entering Australia by aircraft or vessel, expands powers to require information, and clarifies notice of intention procedures for biosecurity approval decisions. | Prepare for travel declaration obligations before Schedule 1 commences, and update procedures for responding to notices and information requests within required timeframes. |
| Online Safety Act 2021 | Federal | 12/09/2026 | Updated compilation covering eSafety Commissioner complaints and investigations, cyber-bullying and cyber-abuse, non-consensual intimate images, removal and blocking notices, industry codes and social media minimum age requirements. | Audit online content, review age verification and privacy protections for minors, and set up procedures for complaints and actioning removal notices promptly. |
| Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 | NSW | 15/09/2026 | Clarifies exemptions, definitions and Health Privacy Principles, including retention periods, a 45-day timeframe for access and amendment requests, and tighter rules on disclosure, identifiers, transfers outside NSW and record linkage. | Update retention and disposal schedules, access and amendment procedures, and consent processes for secondary use, linkage and data transfers. |
| Wine and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2026 | Federal | 15/09/2026 | Amends the Wine Australia Act 2013 to expand survey functions, replace information sharing and confidentiality provisions and introduce civil penalty enforcement, and restricts disclosure of primary industry levy and charge information. | Review data handling and security for industry and levy information, update disclosure policies, train staff, and monitor commencement of Schedule 1. |
| Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 | NSW | 15/09/2026 | Establishes a mandatory data breach notification scheme for NSW public sector agencies, requiring breach assessments, notification of the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals, published breach policies and incident registers. | Implement a data breach response plan, incident register and published policy, assign assessment and notification responsibilities, and train staff on timeframes and exemptions. |
| Food Production (Safety) Regulation 2014 | QLD | 04/09/2026 | Introduces a public accreditation register, risk-based audit frequencies, 14-day reporting timeframes and revised program amendment procedures, plus scheme-specific record-keeping, traceability and labelling requirements across dairy, eggs, horticulture, meat, poultry, seafood and pet food. | Review food safety programs, set up a compliance calendar for 14-day deadlines, align audit and nonconformance processes, and update scheme-specific procedures and records. |
| Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 | VIC | 30/09/2026 | Updated compilation covering expanded Information Commissioner functions, public interest determinations, information usage arrangements, complaints handling and strengthened data security standards and plans. | Confirm whether your organisation is in scope, review privacy policies, complaints handling and data security plans, and schedule biennial security risk assessments. |
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