Starts 1 July 2027/C2026A00064/Read from the authorised Act/Not legal advice; does not certify
Competition and Consumer CheckerThe Act, section by section
Section 21Scope or machinery

The statutory review of the subscription rules

The Minister must arrange a review of the subscription amendments and any instruments made under them during the first two years of operation. The review must be completed and reported within six months after that period, and the report must be tabled in each House within 15 sitting days.

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Act 2026, Schedule 1, Part 3, item 21Starts 1 July 2027Part 3: subscription contracts
The requirement

This is a duty on the Commonwealth Minister, not on a supplier. It matters to a supplier because the review is the formal route through which the subscription rules may change.

Who it binds. The Commonwealth Minister as defined in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

Operative term. review of operation of amendments made by this Part

What this means in practice

The review is a fixed calendar item. It covers the amendments made by Part 3 and any legislative instruments made for Division 4A, over the first two years from commencement. The report is due within six months after the end of that period and must be tabled within 15 sitting days. For a supplier, the practical point is that the rules are expected to be reviewed on a known timetable, so a change watch should cover the review and any instrument made under it. The review does not change the duties by itself; it creates the public record that may lead to change.

How to test it

Put the review dates in the compliance calendar. Two years from 1 July 2027 ends on 30 June 2029; the report is due within six months, and tabling follows within 15 sitting days. Track any instrument made under Division 4A as part of the same watch. Do not treat the review as a reason to delay compliance; the duties apply from the start date.

Evidence to keep

The Act does not prescribe these records. They are the artefacts our reading says a regulator or auditor may ask for; keep the ones that fit your business and the provision.

  • Calendar entryThe two-year period, the report deadline and the tabling window.
  • Instrument logEvery instrument made under Division 4A, with the date and effect.
  • Review watchThe source checked for the review terms and the report.
  • Board noteA note that the review may lead to change, and the owner for the response.
  • Change logAny change that follows the review, with the date it was assessed.

What to do first

  1. Put the review window in the compliance calendar now.
  2. Watch instruments made under the new Division as well as the Act.
  3. Do not use the review as a reason to wait past the start date.

Questions

Does the review delay the duties?
No. The duties commence on 1 July 2027. The review is a look at how they have operated, starting after commencement.
Who conducts the review?
The Commonwealth Minister must cause the review to be conducted. The Act does not name the reviewer.

Related sections

s 48B: Subscription tests 48E(1): During the contracts 311: Conduct timing