Recently released guidance from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and two new barrister opinions re-emphasise the need for banks, superannuation trustees, insurers, and other organisations, to respond to, and appropriately manage, financial risks associated with climate change. ...

For the past two decades, Australia has been a leader in the use of public private partnerships (PPPs) and private capital in the delivery of public infrastructure. Our successes have been so pronounced that countries such as Canada would send experts and civil servants to learn from local authorities. The market matured, and many complex projects were delivered using this approach. It is the combination of private and public sectors that is crucial for a successful project, allowing certain risks to be transferred, better management of risk and more innovative thinking. In this Insight, we discuss why private sector involvement is beneficial and how they enable stronger project outcomes for all. ...

To re-balance the pipeline and bring the greatest benefits to all Australians, we need to spread the spend. Government is posed to spend record amounts and we need to make sure we are delivering the right infrastructure, in the right places, at the right time. ...

On 5 March the UK LIBOR regulator, the FCA, announced cessation dates for the vast majority of LIBOR settings. As expected, the key date will be end of this year (ie 31 December 2021) for mo ...

Banks have played, and will continue to play, a key role in not only supporting Australian individuals and businesses managing the effects of the pandemic, but also as a key capital provider in the investment of new infrastructure for a post-pandemic world. ...

With strategic bidders and foreign government acquirers on the side lines, 2021 may be the busiest ever for PE dealmakers ...

As part of the national security reforms the Government had proposed to revoke the moneylending exemption in the case of security over a 'national security business'. This would have required foreign lenders to apply to the Foreign Investment Review Board for approval or exemption before undertaking routine loan participations. ...

Design and Distribution Obligations (DDO) regime is one of the biggest things for the financial services industry in 2020, affecting almost every part of the industry. ...

ASIC has released a first-round consultation paper on proposed changes to Regulatory Guide 256: Client Review and Remediation Conducted by Advice Licensees. The proposed changes are substantial, and will apply to new entities including super fund trustees. ...

The government yesterday introduced into Parliament the Financial Sector Reform (Hayne Royal Commission Response) Bill 2020 to implement a large number of the Hayne Royal Commission recommendations. Many provisions have a start date of 1 January 2021, and some don't have a transition period. ...