On the pulse
- Consultation on enhanced data collection for managed investment schemes – see consultation
- Consultation on Compensation Scheme of Last Resort 2026–27 special levy – see consultation
- ASIC issues consolidated reporting and auditing relief instruments – see media release
- ASIC extends market relief for exchange-traded derivatives and securities for five years – see media release
- ASIC remakes qualified accountant legislative instrument – see media release
- ASIC strengthens AI trading safeguards and streamlines market integrity rules – see media release
- ASIC finalises guidance reflecting financial market infrastructure reforms – see media release
- ASIC remakes dollar disclosure and exempt documents relief – see media release
- ASIC: The case for private credit standards: if not, why not? – see remarks
- APRA: “Getting the balance right”: supporting productivity and maintaining financial stability – see latest edition
ASIC
ASIC issues consolidated reporting and auditing relief instruments
On 18 September 2026, ASIC announced that it has made two new instruments that consolidate reporting and auditing relief. ASIC Corporations (Annual and Half-year Reporting) Instrument 2026/468 and ASIC Corporations (Auditing) Instrument 2026/469 bring together 17 existing relief instruments covering financial and sustainability reporting and auditing requirements.
The consolidated instruments do not introduce substantial policy changes, but aim to improve clarity, consistency and ease of use by bringing the relief into a more streamlined framework.
The instruments originate from ASIC’s regulatory simplification initiative outlined in Report 813 Regulatory simplification and Report 830 Regulatory simplification progress report. ASIC will also update relevant forms and regulatory guidance to reflect the new instruments.
ASIC previously consulted on the new instruments.
ASIC extends market relief for exchange-traded derivatives and securities for five years
On 15 September 2026, ASIC announced that it will continue four forms of relief that support the efficient operation of Australia’s exchange-traded derivatives and securities markets. Following public consultation, ASIC has remade three legislative instruments and extended a fourth for five years.
The relief simplifies disclosure, supports trans-Tasman securities settlement and foreign securities transfers, and facilitates securities lending. It also reduces unnecessary work for market participants.
The following instruments were due to sunset or expire in September and October 2026:
- ASIC Corporations (Exchange-Traded Derivatives: Multiple Issuers) Instrument 2016/883
- ASIC Corporations (Securities: NZ FASTER System) Instrument 2016/891
- ASIC Corporations (Transfers of Division 3 Securities) Instrument 2016/893, and
- ASIC Corporations (Securities Lending Arrangements) Instrument 2021/821.
ASIC remakes qualified accountant legislative instrument
On 17 September 2026, ASIC announced that it has remade ASIC Corporations (Qualified Accountant) Instrument 2016/786, setting out which members of professional bodies are recognised as qualified accountants for the purposes of issuing certificates that allow a person to be treated as a wholesale client or sophisticated investor.
ASIC Corporations (Qualified Accountant) Instrument 2026/734 continues the arrangements previously set out in ASIC Instrument 2016/786, with minor updates to the drafting style and the names of foreign professional bodies.
ASIC previously consulted on the proposed remake.
ASIC regulatory tracker updates:
ASIC Corporations (Repeal) Instrument 2026/329 has repealed 10 redundant legislative instruments:
- ASIC Corporations (Revocation and Repeal) Instrument 2016/475
- ASIC Corporations (Repeal and Transitional) Instrument 2017/186
- ASIC Corporations (Repeal and Transitional) Instrument 2017/271
- ASIC (Amendment, Repeal and Transitional) Instrument 2017/839
- ASIC Market Integrity Rules (Securities Markets) Class Waiver 2018/258
- ASIC Corporations and Credit (Transition to AFCA) Instrument 2018/814
- ASIC Corporations (Professional Standards—Transitional) Instrument 2018/894
- ASIC Corporations and Credit (Amendment) Instrument 2018/937
- ASIC Corporations, Credit and Superannuation (Internal Dispute Resolution—Transitional) Instrument 2019/965
- ASIC Corporations (Amendment) Instrument 2020/1080
ASIC strengthens AI trading safeguards and streamlines market integrity rules
On 24 September 2026, ASIC announced that it is strengthening safeguards for automated and AI-enabled trading while streamlining regulatory requirements for securities and futures market participants under incoming changes to its Market Integrity Rules (MIRs), namely:
- ASIC Market Integrity Rules (Securities Markets) Amendment Instrument 2026/574
- ASIC Market Integrity Rules (Futures Markets) Amendment Instrument 2026/575
These instruments amend ASIC Market Integrity Rules (Securities Markets) 2017 and the ASIC Market Integrity Rules (Futures Markets) 2017 to modernise and streamline the trading system and automated trading obligations.
The reforms bolster important gatekeeper controls requiring participants to test, monitor and govern trading systems and algorithms as markets evolve and the adoption of AI increases.
The changes also align Australia’s rules more closely with the principles of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and other international standards.
The amendments follow extensive industry consultation and will take effect in 2028.
Following these amendments, ASIC has opened consultation on proposed updates to:
- Regulatory Guide 265 Guidance on ASIC market integrity rules for participants of securities markets (RG 265) and Regulatory Guide 266 Guidance on ASIC market integrity rules for participants of futures markets (RG 266), and
- ASIC's proposal to move relevant guidance from Regulatory Guide 241 Electronic trading (RG 241) into RG 265 and RG 266 before retiring RG 241.
ASIC finalises guidance reflecting financial market infrastructure reforms
On 21 September 2026, ASIC announced that it has published the following updated regulatory guidance to assist financial market infrastructure operators to comply with the enhanced regulatory framework in line with the Australian Government’s financial market infrastructure (FMI) reforms:
- Regulatory Guide 172 Financial markets: Domestic and overseas operators (RG 172)
- Regulatory Guide 249 Derivative trade repositories (RG 249), and
- Regulatory Guide 268 Licensing regime for financial benchmark administrators (RG 268).
ASIC consulted on the proposed updates through CS 50 Proposed updates to RG 172, RG 249 and RG 268, which was released on 20 April 2026 and closed on 25 May 2026.
These regulatory guide updates respond to reforms introduced by the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Act 2024, which commenced in September 2024.
ASIC remakes dollar disclosure and exempt documents relief
On 25 September 2026, ASIC announced that it has issued two replacement legislative instruments covering dollar disclosure requirements and general advice provided in exempt documents.
The new instruments, which replace instruments expiring on 1 October 2026, are:
- ASIC Corporations (Disclosure in Dollars) Instrument 2026/719, and
- ASIC Corporations (Financial Product Advice – Exempt Documents) Instrument 2026/718.
ASIC Instrument 2026/719 will also extend dollar disclosure exemptions to certain risk products provided by discretionary mutual funds. ASIC previously consulted on the proposal.
ASIC: The case for private credit standards: if not, why not?
On 22 September 2026, ASIC published ASIC Commissioner Simone Constant’s remarks at the Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers of Australia Commercial Property & Development Finance Summit in Sydney. Key takeaways include:
- Private credit done well has an important role to play in Australia’s productivity, but trust in the sector depends on high standards and best-practice principles.
- Over the past 18 months, ASIC has intensified its scrutiny of private credit. Despite ASIC’s ongoing calls for improvement, governance, controls and underwriting standards have not kept pace with the sector’s rapid growth.
ASIC expects all private credit participants to adopt its 10 principles as a practical benchmark for self-assessment. For those that have not, ASIC asks: why not?
APRA
APRA: “Getting the balance right”: supporting productivity and maintaining financial stability
On 24 September 2026, APRA announced that it has released the latest edition of APRA Explains, outlining how it is “getting the balance right”. The article outlines how APRA is reducing regulatory burden while maintaining prudential standards that support productivity and financial stability.
Legislation and proposed legislation
Consultation on enhanced data collection for managed investment schemes
On 23 September 2026, the Treasury opened consultation into ways to improve regulatory visibility of the managed investment scheme (MIS) sector to address key information gaps by collecting better data. This helps identify and respond to consumer harm risks.
The consultation seeks feedback on improving MIS data collections and the paper outlines three broad proposals for consultation:
- enhancing the information collected when a MIS is registered
- introducing a recurring data collection for registered MISs and
- improving visibility of the unregistered MIS sector, which is not subject to the same level of data collection.
Submissions for feedback close 23 October 2026.
See also Treasury’s media release.
Consultation on Compensation Scheme of Last Resort 2026–27 special levy
On 21 September 2026, the Treasury opened consultation into the proposed way to allocate the 2026–27 Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) special levy.
The CSLR operator published the revised estimate for the 2026–27 levy period. The estimate for the personal financial advice sub-sector is higher than the $20 million levy cap. This leads to a projected shortfall of $170.3 million.
The Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services announced that the waterfall framework would apply to the 2026–27 CSLR special levy. He asked Treasury to consult on proposed allocations.
Submissions for feedback close 7 October 2026.
G+T articles
G+T Insight – ASIC issues reminder after extending class no-action letter for digital asset businesses – Peter Reeves, Georgina Wilcock, Vince Battaglia, Emily Shen, Anthony Basa, Stephanie Choong, Amiinah Dulull and Maya Ruber (23 September 2026)
G+T Insight – Non-compete reform: implications for private capital – Beth Cameron (22 September 2026)
G+T Insight –Stored value card thresholds: Government consults on lowering AML/CTF thresholds – Peter Reeves, Georgina Wilcock, Vince Battaglia, Emily Shen, Anthony Basa, Stephanie Choong, Amiinah Dulull and Maya Ruber (22 September 2026)
G+T Insight – Social Sector Spotlight – September 2026 – Darren Fittler, Elizabeth Wighton, Neha Sharma and Caroline Conan-Davies (17 September 2026)
G+T Insight – Australia’s digital duty of care takes shape – from algorithms to everything else – Andrew Hii, Melissa Fai and Cathy Kim (16 September 2026)
G+T Insight – Enhanced Regulatory Sandbox review – Peter Reeves, Georgina Wilcock, Vince Battaglia, Emily Shen, Anthony Basa, Stephanie Choong, Amiinah Dulull and Maya Ruber (15 September 2026)
G+T Insight – Software royalties just got a software update – ATO Tax Ruling 2026/2 – Dioni Perera, William Li, Alper Gokoglu and Alistair Thompson (14 September 2026)
G+T Insight – Your tech, their tanks: Defence gets flexible in the 2026 IS&T Strategy – Ben Duff and Anna Smyth (14 September 2026)
G+T Insight – Treasury consults on reforms to Australia’s climate-related financial disclosures and releases transition planning guidance – Ilona Millar and Lily Morton (14 September 2026)
Calendar dates
- 2 November 2026 – Final report of Senate inquiry into greenwashing due
- 4 December 2026 – Amendments to the Corporations Act to expand substantial holding disclosure to commence
- 9 April 2027 – Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Act 2026 commences operation
- 9 April 2027 – New exemption regime for foreign financial services providers commences
- 1 July 2027 – New NTA requirements commence
- 1 July 2027 – Mandatory climate-related financial disclosures for Group 3 entities apply in respect of financial years starting on or after this date