Business Law Library & Tracker
Franchising & Regulated Industries
Franchising, industry codes and practical compliance rules for regulated business models.
Sources last reviewed 8 June 2026
Main law guides
307
Acts, regulations and codes worth reading first
Topics
22
Plain-English clusters
Published case explainers
496
Selected cases with a business lesson
Tracked updates
110
New, amended & reviewed
Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Check the linked official source before you rely on a specific section, and get advice for your situation.
Get legal helpMain laws
Competition and Consumer Act 2010
Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)
Franchising Code of Conduct
Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes - Franchising) Regulations 2024 (Cth)
Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW)
Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW)
Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading (Motor Vehicle Dealers) Regulations 1992 (NT)
Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading (Motor Vehicle Dealers) Regulations 1992 (NT)
Education and Care Services (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 (NT)
Education and Care Services (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 (NT)
Education and Care Services National Law (ACT) Act 2011 (ACT)
Education and Care Services National Law (ACT) Act 2011 (ACT)
Education and Care Services National Law (Application) Act 2011 (Tas)
Education and Care Services National Law (Application) Act 2011 (Tas)
Education and Care Services National Law (Queensland) Act 2011 (Qld)
Education and Care Services National Law (Queensland) Act 2011 (Qld)
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (Vic)
Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (Vic)
Education and Care Services National Law Application Act 2026 (WA)
Education and Care Services National Law Application Act 2026 (WA)
Education and Early Childhood Services (Registration and Standards) Act 2011 (SA)
Education and Early Childhood Services (Registration and Standards) Act 2011 (SA)
Motor Car Traders Act 1986 (Vic)
Motor Car Traders Act 1986 (Vic)
Motor Dealers and Chattel Auctioneers Act 2014 (Qld)
Motor Dealers and Chattel Auctioneers Act 2014 (Qld)
Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 (NSW)
Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013 (NSW)
Motor Vehicle Dealers Act 1973 (WA)
Motor Vehicle Dealers Act 1973 (WA)
Motor Vehicle Repairers Act 2003 (WA)
Motor Vehicle Repairers Act 2003 (WA)
Motor Vehicle Traders Act 2011 (Tas)
Motor Vehicle Traders Act 2011 (Tas)
Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (Cth)
Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (Cth)
Sale of Motor Vehicles Act 1977 (ACT)
Sale of Motor Vehicles Act 1977 (ACT)
Second-hand Vehicle Dealers Act 1995 (SA)
Second-hand Vehicle Dealers Act 1995 (SA)
National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth)
National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Cth)
Agents Act 2003 (ACT)
Agents Act 2003 (ACT)
Agents Licensing Act 1979 (NT)
Agents Licensing Act 1979 (NT)
Commercial Passenger (Road) Transport Act 1991 (NT)
Commercial Passenger (Road) Transport Act 1991 (NT)
Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017 (Vic)
Commercial Passenger Vehicle Industry Act 2017 (Vic)
Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth)
Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth)
Estate Agents Act 1980 (Vic)
Estate Agents Act 1980 (Vic)
Land Agents Act 1994 (SA)
Land Agents Act 1994 (SA)
Passenger Transport Act 1994 (SA)
Passenger Transport Act 1994 (SA)
Passenger Transport Services Act 2011 (Tas)
Passenger Transport Services Act 2011 (Tas)
Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Act 2016 (NSW)
Point to Point Transport (Taxis and Hire Vehicles) Act 2016 (NSW)
Private Security Act 1995 (NT)
Private Security Act 1995 (NT)
Private Security Act 2004 (Vic)
Private Security Act 2004 (Vic)
Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016 (Tas)
Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016 (Tas)
Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 (NSW)
Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 (NSW)
Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld)
Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld)
Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978 (WA)
Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978 (WA)
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001 (ACT)
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001 (ACT)
Security and Investigation Industry Act 1995 (SA)
Security and Investigation Industry Act 1995 (SA)
Security and Investigations Agents Act 2002 (Tas)
Security and Investigations Agents Act 2002 (Tas)
Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996 (WA)
Security and Related Activities (Control) Act 1996 (WA)
Security Industry Act 1997 (NSW)
Security Industry Act 1997 (NSW)
Security Industry Act 2003 (ACT)
Security Industry Act 2003 (ACT)
Security Providers Act 1993 (Qld)
Security Providers Act 1993 (Qld)
Transport (Road Passenger Services) Act 2018 (WA)
Transport (Road Passenger Services) Act 2018 (WA)
Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994 (Qld)
Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Act 1994 (Qld)
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Act 2015 (Cth)
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Act 2015 (Cth)
Charitable Collections Act 1946 (WA)
Charitable Collections Act 1946 (WA)
Charitable Collections Act 2003 (ACT)
Charitable Collections Act 2003 (ACT)
Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)
Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW)
Collections Act 1966 (Qld)
Collections Act 1966 (Qld)
Collections for Charitable Purposes Act 1939 (SA)
Collections for Charitable Purposes Act 1939 (SA)
Collections for Charities Act 2001 (Tas)
Collections for Charities Act 2001 (Tas)
Fundraising Act 1998 (Vic)
Fundraising Act 1998 (Vic)
Gaming Control Act 1993 (NT)
Gaming Control Act 1993 (NT)
Child Employment Act 2003 (Vic)
Child Employment Act 2003 (Vic)
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth)
Food Act 1984 (Vic)
Food Act 1984 (Vic)
Food Act 2001 (ACT)
Food Act 2001 (ACT)
Food Act 2001 (SA)
Food Act 2001 (SA)
Food Act 2003 (NSW)
Food Act 2003 (NSW)
Food Act 2003 (Tas)
Food Act 2003 (Tas)
Food Act 2004 (NT)
Food Act 2004 (NT)
Food Act 2006 (Qld)
Food Act 2006 (Qld)
Food Act 2008 (WA)
Food Act 2008 (WA)
Liquor Act 1992 (Qld)
Liquor Act 1992 (Qld)
Liquor Act 2007 (NSW)
Liquor Act 2007 (NSW)
Liquor Act 2010 (ACT)
Liquor Act 2010 (ACT)
Liquor Act 2019 (NT)
Liquor Act 2019 (NT)
Liquor Control Act 1988 (WA)
Liquor Control Act 1988 (WA)
Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 (Vic)
Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 (Vic)
Liquor Licensing Act 1990 (Tas)
Liquor Licensing Act 1990 (Tas)
Liquor Licensing Act 1997 (SA)
Liquor Licensing Act 1997 (SA)
Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Act 2014
Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Act 2014 (Cth)
Olympic Insignia Protection Act 1987
Olympic Insignia Protection Act 1987 (Cth)
Tracker
- New8 June 2026
Education, childcare and training provider laws added
The legislation library now covers education, childcare and training-provider regulation for Australian small businesses. New pages explain ASQA and RTO regulation, overseas student and CRICOS provider obligations, and education and care services laws across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. This gives childcare operators, family day care providers, outside school hours care businesses, RTOs, private colleges, education startups, franchise groups and buyers a clearer place to understand approvals, registrations, responsible people, staffing, student records, education agents, incidents, regulator notices and acquisition due diligence.
Franchising & Regulated IndustriesBusiness Registration & OperationsEmployment & WorkplaceContracts & CommercialConsumer Law & TradingPrivacy & Data - New8 June 2026
Fundraising and charitable collections laws added
The legislation library now covers state and territory fundraising, charitable collections and community fundraising pathways across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. This gives charities, social enterprises, clubs, ecommerce brands, event organisers, sponsors and businesses running charity-linked campaigns a clearer place to understand when public donation requests, use of charity names, paid fundraisers, records, receipts, collection licences, approvals, raffles, lotteries and regulator reporting need to be checked before launch.
Not-for-Profits & CharitiesConsumer Law & TradingDigital & EcommerceContracts & CommercialBusiness Registration & OperationsFranchising & Regulated Industries - New8 June 2026
Passenger transport and booking service laws added
The legislation library now covers passenger transport, point-to-point, taxi, hire vehicle, rideshare, shuttle, booking-service and road passenger service regimes across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. This gives operators, booking platforms, tour providers, airport transfer businesses, community transport providers and businesses hiring transport a clearer place to understand authorisations, driver checks, vehicle standards, safety duties, fares, complaints, incidents and regulator pathways.
Franchising & Regulated IndustriesConsumer Law & TradingContracts & CommercialEmployment & WorkplaceBusiness Registration & OperationsDigital & Ecommerce - New8 June 2026
Security industry licensing laws added
The legislation library now covers private security and investigation licensing laws across NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. This gives security firms, venues, retailers, events, facilities managers and small businesses hiring guards a clearer place to understand licence classes, crowd control, investigations, monitoring, installers, subcontractor controls, incident records and regulator pathways.
Franchising & Regulated IndustriesEmployment & WorkplacePrivacy & DataConsumer Law & TradingContracts & CommercialBusiness Registration & Operations - New8 June 2026
Automotive trading and vehicle standards laws added
The legislation library now covers automotive trading, vehicle sale, repair and road-vehicle standards laws across the Commonwealth, NSW, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. This gives dealers, repairers, importers, automotive franchise groups, fleet operators and small businesses buying or selling vehicles a clearer place to understand licensing, sale documents, warranties, repairs, PPSR checks and regulator pathways.
Consumer Law & TradingFranchising & Regulated IndustriesBusiness Registration & OperationsContracts & CommercialFinance, Payments & SecurityFood & Product Compliance - New8 June 2026
Property agency regulation laws added
The legislation library now covers property-agency regulation across every Australian state and territory. This gives real estate agencies, property managers, business brokers, franchisors and businesses appointing agents a clearer place to understand licensing, agency agreements, trust money, advertising, supervision and transaction records.
Commercial Leases & PropertyFranchising & Regulated IndustriesConsumer Law & TradingContracts & Commercial - Amendment7 June 2026
Victorian fuel retailer amendment tracked
This is targeted at fuel retailers rather than every small business. Operators selling fuel in Victoria should check current price-board, price-reporting, code and infringement settings against the official regulation and regulator guidance before changing store processes, signage, reporting routines or staff instructions.
Consumer Law & TradingFranchising & Regulated IndustriesFood & Product Compliance - Reviewed3 June 2026
Building Cooperative Workplaces Bill added to tracker
This Bill is not law yet, so employers should not rush template changes from the title alone. It is still a live workplace-law watch item for employers, road transport businesses, building industry participants and organisations dealing with registered organisations. Track the Bill, keep consultation and rostering records tidy, and review workplace policies only once the final text and commencement position are clear.
Employment & WorkplaceContracts & CommercialFranchising & Regulated Industries - Amendment12 Apr 2026
Franchising Code transition now under 2024 Regulations
Franchisors should check disclosure documents, franchise agreement templates and compliance calendars against the 1 April 2025 and 1 November 2025 transition points.
Franchising & Regulated Industries - Reviewed12 Mar 2026
AML/CTF Amendment Bill added to tracker
Businesses in reporting sectors should keep AML/CTF compliance ownership clear while the Bill is before Parliament. The practical watch points are customer onboarding, designated services, high-risk payment or delivery mechanisms, AUSTRAC-facing controls and whether compliance documents need updating if the Bill passes.
Finance, Payments & SecurityFranchising & Regulated IndustriesBusiness Registration & Operations - Amendment10 Mar 2026
Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers) Regulations 2025 history added
This belongs in the Victorian fair trading history because fuel price display and reporting rules sit under the same consumer-law operating environment. It is not relevant to every small business, but Victorian fuel retailers should treat price boards, price-reporting routines, staff instructions and regulator notices as live compliance controls rather than one-off signage tasks.
Consumer Law & TradingFranchising & Regulated IndustriesFood & Product Compliance - New5 Aug 2025
Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Price Reporting) Regulations 2025 history added
This as-made source is useful history for Victorian fuel retailers because it records the 2025 rule package before later version changes. Businesses do not need a separate page for it, but operators reviewing old price-reporting processes, compliance correspondence or store instructions should know that the current in-force version may not look exactly like the original rule as made.
Consumer Law & TradingFranchising & Regulated IndustriesFood & Product Compliance - Amendment31 Mar 2022
Franchise Disclosure Register history added
This is important for franchise systems because disclosure is not only a pre-signing document bundle. The Franchise Disclosure Register changed the transparency settings around franchisor information and franchise-system visibility. Franchisors should treat register details, disclosure documents and renewal workflows as one compliance calendar.
Franchising & Regulated IndustriesConsumer Law & TradingContracts & Commercial - New2016 statutory rule
Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Price Boards) Regulations 2016 history added
This is older fuel-retail history rather than a general small-business compliance page. It helps keep the parent Victorian fair trading guide honest by showing that fuel price-board obligations have their own source trail. Fuel retailers reviewing legacy signage, store operations or older regulator material should check the current rules before relying on older price-board wording.
Consumer Law & TradingFranchising & Regulated IndustriesFood & Product Compliance - New30 Oct 2014
Franchising Code 2014 history added
This is a historical anchor for franchisors and franchisees. The 2014 Code is no longer the current Code, but it shaped years of disclosure, good faith, cooling-off, transfer, termination and dispute handling practice. Keeping it in the parent history helps readers understand why older franchise agreements and older cases may refer to the 2014 regulation even though the current page explains the 2024 Code.
Franchising & Regulated IndustriesConsumer Law & TradingContracts & Commercial - Reviewed1999 Act
Competition Policy Reform (Northern Territory) Act 1999 history added
This Northern Territory competition reform source is background for the national competition-policy environment. It is not a separate small-business guide, but it helps explain older regulated-industry and competition-policy references. Current retailers, platforms, franchisors and suppliers should still start with the Competition and Consumer Act, Australian Consumer Law and ACCC guidance.
Consumer Law & TradingFranchising & Regulated Industries - Reviewed1995 Act
Competition Policy Reform (Victoria) Act 1995 history added
This is competition-policy background, not a modern consumer-law page for ordinary operators. It belongs under the Competition and Consumer Act because it helps explain older competition reform references that can appear in infrastructure, regulated-industry or government-facing documents. Current businesses should still begin with the CCA, Australian Consumer Law and ACCC guidance.
Consumer Law & TradingFranchising & Regulated Industries
Cases
ACCC v Mobil Oil Australia
Marketing a product as having special features is risky if the supply chain does not actually deliver those features. Retailers, franchise systems and suppliers...
ASIC v Bekier
Directors and senior officers cannot hide behind information overload. Boards and executives need systems that surface material risk, require active questions and...
AUSTRAC v Princeton Securities
AML/CTF reporting duties are not optional housekeeping. If a reporting entity stays enrolled and does not tell AUSTRAC it has ceased providing designated services,...
Baillie Wines v Camden Council
Agritourism and farm-gate concepts are not magic labels. If a business wants planning approval for food, drink, accommodation or events on rural land, the proposed...
Ioakimidis v Lygon Court Travel
Payslips and employee records are basic compliance, not back-office extras. A small franchise business can face penalties years later if it cannot show leave, pay...
Rogers v McDonald's Australia
Rostering systems need to deal with real work, not just rostered shift boxes. If managers or staff are expected to open, close, prepare, reconcile, clean up or...
TEQSA v Chegg
Regulated digital services need product controls, not just terms of use. If a platform enables users to buy help that crosses into prohibited conduct, overseas...
Fair Work Ombudsman v 85 Degrees Coffee Australia Pty Ltd
Franchisors cannot treat franchisee payroll compliance as someone else's problem where they have enough control and warning signs. If a brand knows similar...
ACCC v Geowash
Franchise sales claims and upfront payments need hard controls. Money collected for site establishment, fit-out or setup should be used consistently with the...
ACCC v Ultra Tune Australia
Read this case as a first instance Federal Court warning on franchise basics. If you run a franchise network, treat disclosure updates, marketing fund reporting,...