Australia

Supervision & Enforcement

Australian Court Orders Mercer Advice Unit to Pay A$12m Penalty

By Mark Johnston | 23/11/2023

Mercer Financial Advice was fined for failing to provide compliant fee disclosure statements and charging fees for services never rendered.

Reporting & Disclosures

Climate Disclosures and Financial Statements Should be Coherent: XRB

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 23/11/2023

New Zealand’s XRB issued new guidance highlighting the need for coherence between financial statements and climate-related disclosures.

Conduct, Culture & Accountability

ASIC Announces Enforcement Priorities for 2024

By Editors | 23/11/2023

ASIC added new priorities targeting super funds and market integrity, and emphases a continued focus on greenwashing.

Anti-Money Laundering

AUSTRAC Accepts Enforceable Undertaking from Perth Mint

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 23/11/2023

The enforceable undertaking binds Gold Corporation to completing its AML/CTF remediation programme by 30 April 2025.

Cybersecurity

Australia Issues Seven-Year National Cyber Security Strategy

By Manesh Samtani | 23/11/2023

Small businesses will be given cyber health checks, cyber law enforcement funding will increase, and mandatory reporting of ransomware attacks will be introduced.

AI Risk & Governance

Regulators Must Keep Pace with Technology to Manage Systemic Risks

By Nithya Subramanian | 23/11/2023

With frauds and crimes getting sophisticated, institutions and regulators need to assume an increased level of responsibility, said Deborah Young.

Stablecoins

New Zealand Crypto Firm Launches NZD Stablecoin

By Editors | 23/11/2023

Easy Crypto and Labrys said the NZDD will be backed 1:1 with cash in trust and regulated by the FMA.

Reporting & Disclosures

Australia to Restructure Regulatory Bodies for Financial Reporting

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 21/11/2023

The three regulatory bodies that oversee financial reporting and set reporting standards will be combined into a single entity.

Structural Regulation

Australia Consults on Options for Reforming Merger Rules

By Sanday Chongo Kabange | 20/11/2023

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said any changes to merger rules would be about “delivering greater benefits to the economy and to consumers, and providing certainty to business”.