Selling the family home to pay huge accommodation bonds for residential care places will soon be a thing of the past under the government’s sweeping changes proposed for new consumer credit reform. Older people will now be able to use the equity in their home to fund an aged-care place through a form of federal...
Hoons and repeat dangerous drivers will lose their vehicles for seven days – which is up from the current period of two days – for their first offence (type 1 offence) under changes to be made to the State’s vehicle impoundment laws. Those caught for a second time (type 2 offence) will lose their vehicle for...
As many of you would be aware, since 1st August 2011 Queenslanders are no longer able to apply for the ‘principle place of residence’ stamp duty concession after the State Government cancelled the concession for transfer duties. Since 1st August 2011, consumers have had to pay up to 30 percent more in transfer duties, equating to...
The Commission of Inquiry has conducted hearings during the months of September and October which have followed on from the August Commission Enquiry into to 2010/2011 Queensland floods. Its interim report provides 175 recommendations focused on changes to be implemented before the next wet season. More than 660 written public submissions were received and sworn statements...
New recreational boating safety reforms will come into effect from January 2012. The reforms include enhanced night and electronic navigation training incorporated into the existing BoatSafe course, extending the number of coastal bars where personal floatation devices must be worn, additional safety equipment requirements for personal watercraft operating offshore, and higher standards for new large...
The Court has ordered respondents to publish a corrective video on YouTube and other video-streaming websites to counter false and misleading representations. This is the first occurrence of its kind for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The proceedings against Newlife Publishing and Marketing Pty Ltd, Renew You Centre for Wellbeing and Longevity Pty...
Lawyers, academics and journalists raised fresh doubts this week about federal government plans to encourage people to use a statutory privacy tort for lawsuits. The government’s plans to encourage people to sue each other using a statutory privacy tort have been denounced by The Rule of Law Institute as so uncertain as to undermine the...
The Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 calls for equal contributions to the running costs of a building through lot entitlements unless it is ‘just and equitable’. Effectively, if a unit owner does not believe they are being charged body corporate fees fairly they can apply to the Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal for...
The Neighbourhood Disputes Resolution Bill 2010 was introduced to Parliament in November 2010. A proposed new law to solve neighbourhood disputes about trees and fences will provide clear and practical ways to resolve neighbourhood disputes informally. If disputes cannot be informally resolved, the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) will be able to deal with...
There are now tougher controls and strict penalties for weapons-related offences. Currently Queensland laws require the registration of weapons and licensing of persons in possession of them. Weapons covered in the legislation include firearms, laser pointers, possession of bladed weapons such as a ballistic knife or butterfly knife in a public place or school, and...
