Publications & News

WHAT IS THIS CASE ABOUT? This Supreme Court decision concerned a claim in private nuisance brought by the owner of an investment property in Toorak against his next-door neighbour. The plaintiff alleged that, over a period of years, the defendant had made loud noises against a shared party wall including banging during the night, shouting […]

What is the case about? This decision dealt with costs applications following the dismissal of an applicant’s claim against an Owners Corporation and three other respondents, including a lot owner represented by legal practitioners and the Owners Corporation itself, which was represented throughout by its manager rather than a lawyer. The first respondent Owners Corporation, represented by […]

The Consumer Legislation Amendment Act 2026 (Vic) introduces significant changes to Victorian property sales, affecting estate agents, vendors and purchasers. The Act received Royal Assent on 8 September 2026. The first major reforms commence on 1 October 2026, introducing new reserve price, Property Price Statement and advertising requirements for residential property. Further amendments to the […]

Yesterday, the Fair Work Commission has handed down its decision on the proposed introduction of a working from home provision into the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020. Click here to view the PDF. The decision does not create a right to work from home. Working from home would still need to be agreed to. […]

A Heads of Agreement (HOA) landed on my desk a while back that I still think about. Two partners in a development entity, good-relationship, drafted their own HOA for the future carve-up of subsidiary lots in a development they had orchestrated — no lawyers involved. It had some genuinely solid provisions. It also had pricing […]

On 10 August 2026, the rules on what a self-managed super fund (SMSF) can borrow to buy changed. This article sets out what changed, what did not, and what to check if you have a fund with property plans in the works. WHAT CHANGED Until 9 August 2026, a fund could use a limited recourse […]

On 1 July 2026, the most significant package of consumer-protection reforms in a generation commenced under the Building Act 1993 (Vic), as amended by the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Act 2025 (Vic). The First Resort Home Warranty Scheme has replaced domestic building insurance, rectification orders are now part of the Building and Plumbing Commission’s […]

Victoria’s WFH laws delayed! Victorian Premier, Ben Carroll announced yesterday that the right to work from home in Victoria has been pushed back from its originally planned commencement date of 1 September 2026 until 1 July 2027. The proposed reforms would have given eligible Victorian employees a statutory right to work from home 2 days […]

What is the case about? This case concerned a claim by two former renters against their Owners Corporation for the theft of audio-visual equipment from their private storage unit in the building’s common property carpark. The applicants sought $28,000 for the stolen equipment, $6,872 in relocation costs, and reimbursement of their VCAT application fee. The applicants’ case […]