Insights · Conveyancing
Conveyancing
Practical briefings on NSW residential and commercial conveyancing: PEXA workspace operation, contract review, 66W certificates, off-the-plan, settlement and the day-to-day rhythm of property transactions.
6 briefings
AML/CTF Arrives at the Settlement Table on 1 July
From 1 July 2026, Australia's anti-money-laundering regime extends to lawyers, conveyancers and real estate agents: the 'tranche 2' reforms. AUSTRAC enrolment opened on 31 March 2026, and every firm providing designated services must be enrolled by 29 July 2026. What it means in practice: formal identity verification for every buyer and seller, source-of-funds questions on some matters, and a little more paperwork at the start of every transaction.
Read briefing- 26 May 20266 min read
The 2026 Budget: What Property Owners Need to Know
The 14 May 2026 federal budget rewrites the tax settings that have shaped Australian property investment for a generation: negative gearing limited to new builds from 1 July 2027, the 50% CGT discount replaced with indexation and a 30% minimum rate on gains, and the foreign-buyer ban on established homes extended to 30 June 2029. A practical read of who is affected, who is grandfathered, and what the timetable allows.
Read briefing - 24 May 20265 min read
First Home Buyer Duty in 2026: State by State (and the ACT)
Stamp duty concessions for first home buyers now differ sharply across the country: NSW exempts homes to $800,000, Victoria to $600,000, Queensland to $700,000 with a full exemption for new builds, SA scraps duty on new homes, WA adds an off-the-plan rebate, and the ACT goes furthest with a full exemption for every first home buyer from 1 July 2026. Because LAS handles conveyancing across all six jurisdictions, here is the map in one place.
Read briefing - 20 May 20266 min read
The 2026 Contract: What Changes on 1 June
The Law Society's 2026 Edition of the Contract for the Sale and Purchase of Land, released on 2 March 2026, becomes the only compliant form for residential contracts and option agreements exchanged on or after 1 June 2026. A clause-by-clause read of what changed: the revised cooling-off notice, the rewritten clauses 28 and 29, the new disclosure items, and why the 2022 edition stops being safe to use after 31 May.
Read briefing - 9 May 20264 min read
Foreign Resident Withholding Now Catches Every Sale
The foreign resident capital gains withholding regime used to be a problem for high-value sales only. Since 1 January 2025 the rate is 15% and the $750,000 threshold is gone, so every Australian-resident vendor now needs an ATO clearance certificate, or 15% of the price is withheld at settlement. A short, practical briefing on the one piece of paperwork no vendor can skip.
Read briefing - 22 April 20265 min read
PEXA in 2026: The New Settlement Day
Recent PEXA workspace changes, lender integration updates and ARNECC settlement-time requirements, and the practical effect on purchasers, vendors and incoming mortgagees.
Read briefing
Other topics
6 briefings
Planning
Briefings on NSW planning reform, rezonings, the TOD program, the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Pathway and the State-assessed pathway, written for landowners, developers and proximate communities.
Browse Planning5 briefings
Liquor & Gaming
Briefings on NSW liquor and gaming regulation: ILGA application practice, the CIS framework, gaming machine controls, and the operational rules that govern licensed venues.
Browse Liquor & Gaming
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