New financial year, new measures. Legal measures, that is. With law changes come everyday life changes, even if they’re small, so it’s never a bad idea to be up to date with what measures are taking effect at the start of year, and be aware of how they may impact you. Here are some of the biggest changes coming to Australia in 2026.
Merger control
Up until now, it has not been compulsory for businesses to notify the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) of an acquisition but rather, businesses could choose to seek the ACCC’s views on their acquisition to reduce the risk of legal action by the organism.
Starting January 1, 2026, businesses that are contemplating acquisitions must notify the ACCC and wait for approval before they can proceed.
Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
A major step in strengthening Australia’s defences against health threats, Parliament has passed the laws to establish the Australian Centre for Disease Control starting January 1, 2026. The CDC will, from then on, stand as an independent agency, with the aim of preparing for, responding to and preventing public health emergencies.
Payday superannuation
In some good news for employees, the government has announced changes to superannuation guarantee from July 1, 2026, establishing that employers will be required to pay their employees’ superannuation guarantee (SG) at the same time as their salary and wages.
Parental leave
Another bit of good news aimed at new parents-to-be is that parental leave pay will increase from 24 to 26 weeks (130 days) for children born or adopted from July 1, 2026. And that’s not all, the number of days reserved for partners and the number of days both parents can take at the same time will also increase to 4 weeks! You can read more about these changes here.
Environmental reforms
A number of changes have been made to the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, which will come into effect on a rolling basis throughout 2026. Key changes relate to the definition of “unacceptable impact”, the decision-making criteria, limits on how “fossil fuel actions” (coal and petroleum) can be approved, and more. You can read more about them here.
Tax cuts
Starting July 1, 2026 and for the 2027 and 2028 years, every Australian taxpayer will receive a tax cut of $268, and a further $268 from July 1, 2027, in addition to the tax cut introduced earlier this year. This means in 2026, the 16% rate will be reduced to 15%, and, in 2027, to 14%. This will translate into an estimated $5 per week and a further weekly $5 in 2028.
Possible crackdown on short-stay accommodation
Brisbane City Council has presented a number of changes to how it regulates short-term accomodation such as Airbnb in Brisbane’s low-density suburbs, including new permit requirements and a three-strikes policy. The proposed changes will have to be approved and, in the case that they are, will go into effect on July 1, 2026, affecting almost 500 homeowners at this stage.