ASIC Corporations (Securitisation Special Purpose Vehicles) Instrument 2016/272

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Legislation au F2016L00457 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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ASIC Corporations (Securitisation Special Purpose Vehicles) Instrument 2016/272

 

About this compilation

 

Compilation No. 2

 

This is a compilation of ASIC Corporations (Securitisation Special Purpose Vehicles) Instrument 2016/272 as in force on 4 July 2017. It includes any commenced amendment affecting the legislative instrument to that date.

 

This compilation was prepared by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

 

The notes at the end of this compilation (the endnotes) include information

about amending instruments and the amendment history of each amended provision.

 

 

Contents

Part 1—Preliminary

1 Name of legislative instrument

3 Authority

4 Definitions

Part 2—Exemption

5 Exemption from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence

Endnotes

Endnote 1—Instrument history

Endnote 2—Amendment history

 

Part 1—Preliminary

1 Name of legislative instrument

This is the ASIC Corporations (Securitisation Special Purpose Vehicles) Instrument 2016/272.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under paragraph 926A(2)(a) of the Act.

4 Definitions

In this instrument:

Act means the Corporations Act 2001.

debt instrument means a chose in action that includes an undertaking by a person to repay as a debt money deposited with or lent to the person.

securitisation product means:

(a) a debt instrument; or

(b) an interest in a managed investment scheme.

Part 2—Exemption

5 Exemption from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence

Services covered by exemption

(1) A body corporate (the securitisation entity) that:

(a) carries on a business (the securitisation business) that consists of managing by way of a securitisation transaction some or all of the economic risk associated with assets, liabilities or investments (whether the body assumes the risk from another person or creates the risk itself); and

(b) reasonably believes that it is an insolvency-remote special purpose entity according to criteria of an internationally recognised rating agency that are applicable to the entity’s circumstances; and

(c) raises all or substantially all of its funds by issuing securitisation products on terms that the funds raised would be applied in the securitisation business;

does not have to comply with subsection 911A(1) of the Act to the extent it requires the securitisation entity to hold an Australian financial services licence for the provision of a financial service in the course of the securitisation business.

Note: The characteristics of a securitisation entity specified in paragraphs (a) to (c) are based on paragraphs 820–39(3)(a) and (c) and subsection 820–39(4) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. An explanation of the operation of those provisions is set out at paragraphs 1.8 to 1.12 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (No 5) 2003.

Further requirements for relying on the licensing exemption

(2)  The exemption applies where any of the following are satisfied:

(a) the service consists of issuing a securitisation product where all of the following apply:

(i) both of the following apply:

(A) the securitisation product relates to a securitisation transaction for managing some or all of the economic risk associated with assets held by the securitisation entity;

(B)  each other securitisation product issued by the securitisation entity relates to that securitisation transaction or another securitisation transaction for managing some or all of the economic risk associated with assets held by the securitisation entity;

(ii) the issue is to a person who either:

(A) holds an Australian financial services licence; or

(B) is exempt from holding an Australian financial services licence under this instrument or ASIC Corporations (Repeal and Transitional) Instrument 2016/396 or any exemption under paragraph 911A(2)(h) or (l) or subsection 926A(2) of the Act that includes reference to the exempted person complying with or reasonably believing that they comply with the regulatory requirements of a foreign jurisdiction;

(iii) at the time of issuing the product the securitisation entity has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that:

(A) the securitisation product; and

(B) any other securitisation product that has been issued by the securitisation entity since 11 January 2005,

are not subsequently acquired by a person as a retail client;

(b) the service consists only of dealing in derivatives or foreign exchange contracts (or both) and all of the following apply:

(i) the service does not involve the making of a market for derivatives or foreign exchange contracts;

(ii) the dealing is entered into for the purpose of managing a financial risk that arises in the ordinary course of the securitisation business;

(iii)  the counterparty for the dealing is a person as a wholesale client;

(c) the service is providing a custodial or depository service in relation to financial products held by the securitisation entity as trustee for the holders of the securitisation products and both the following apply:

(i) the securitisation entity has not issued any of the securitisation products to a person as a retail client;

(ii) the entity has from the later of 1 July 2005 and when the entity first issues a securitisation product, taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the securitisation products are not acquired by a person as a retail client;

(d) the service:

(i) is dealing on behalf of the holders of the securitisation products in financial products held by the securitisation entity as trustee for those holders of the securitisation products; and

(ii) is not dealing by issuing or acquiring derivatives or foreign exchange contracts; and

(iii) the securitisation entity has not issued any of the securitisation products to a retail client and has from the later of 1 July 2005 and when the entity first issues a securitisation product, taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the securitisation products are not acquired by a person as a retail client.

(3) The exemption does not apply to the financial services referred to in paragraphs (2)(a), (b) and (d) unless the securitisation entity:

(a) provides the relevant financial service in accordance with financial product advice provided by a financial services licensee authorised to provide such advice in relation to the financial product to which the financial service relates; and

(b) has entered into a written agreement with the financial services licensee, under which:

(i) the securitisation entity receives the financial product advice described in paragraph (a); and

(ii)  the financial services licensee has not by contract or otherwise excluded or limited (or purported to exclude or limit) its liability for any loss or damage resulting from any negligence by that licensee in providing the financial product advice to the securitisation entity.

ASIC notification that a person may not rely on this exemption

(4) This exemption does not apply to a person from a date if ASIC notifies the person in writing that after that date the person may no longer rely on this exemption and that notice has not been withdrawn by ASIC in writing.

Note: ASIC Corporations (Miscellaneous Technical Relief) Instrument 2015/1115 provides relief from subsections 911A(1) and 911B(1) of the Act to a person who provides financial services on behalf of a person who does not need an Australian financial services licence because of an exemption made under section 926A of the Act.

Endnotes

Endnote 1—Instrument history

Instrument number

Date of FRL registration

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

2016/272

31/3/2016 (see F2016L00457)

1/4/2016

 

2017/65

23/3/2017 (see F2017L00284)

24/3/2017

-

2017/580

3/7/2017 (see F2017L00871)

4/7/2017

-

Endnote 2—Amendment history

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     LA = Legislation Act 2003    rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected 

How affected

Section 2

rep. s48D LA

Sub-subsection 5(2)(a)(ii)(B)


am. 2017/65

Section 5 (Note 2)

rep. 2017/580

Section 5 (Note)

ad. 2017/580

 

 

Overview

The ASIC Corporations (Securitisation Special Purpose Vehicles) Instrument 2016/272, enacted in 2016, was introduced to address the need for regulatory relief for certain securitisation entities, particularly special purpose vehicles involved in managing economic risks through securitisation transactions. This legislative instrument was created under the authority of the Corporations Act 2001 and aims to exempt eligible securitisation entities from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence (AFSL) for specific financial services provided in the course of their securitisation business. The instrument delineates the conditions under which a securitisation entity can rely on this exemption, including managing economic risk through securitisation transactions, raising funds by issuing securitisation products, and ensuring that the products are not acquired by retail clients. The exemption is further contingent on the securitisation entity complying with certain conditions, such as obtaining financial product advice from an authorised financial services licensee and entering into a written agreement that limits the licensee's liability for negligence. This instrument seeks to streamline regulatory compliance for securitisation entities, thereby facilitating more efficient financial markets.

Scope and Application

The ASIC Corporations (Securitisation Special Purpose Vehicles) Instrument 2016/272 applies to body corporates that are securitisation entities, meaning entities that manage by way of a securitisation transaction some or all of the economic risk associated with assets, liabilities, or investments. These entities must reasonably believe they are insolvency-remote special purpose entities according to criteria of an internationally recognised rating agency applicable to their circumstances and must raise all or substantially all of their funds by issuing securitisation products. This instrument provides an exemption from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence for certain services provided in the course of a securitisation business, subject to certain conditions. The exemption applies on a national level across Australia, as it is a legislative instrument made under the authority of the Commonwealth. The exemption does not apply if the securitisation entity fails to meet the specified conditions, such as providing financial services in accordance with financial product advice from a licensed financial services provider or if the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) notifies the entity in writing that they may no longer rely on the exemption. The scope of the exemption can be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, as indicated by the amendments history in the endnotes.

Key Provisions

The ASIC Corporations (Securitisation Special Purpose Vehicles) Instrument 2016/272 provides a specific exemption from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence for certain securitisation entities. This instrument is made under the Corporations Act 2001 and aims to facilitate the operation of special purpose vehicles involved in securitisation activities. The exemption applies to a body corporate that engages in managing economic risk through securitisation transactions, reasonably believes itself to be an insolvency-remote special purpose entity, and primarily raises funds by issuing securitisation products (Section 5(1)). The securitisation products can include debt instruments or interests in managed investment schemes. The instrument further outlines the conditions under which the exemption applies. For instance, the exemption covers services that involve issuing securitisation products to certain counterparties, dealing in derivatives or foreign exchange contracts for managing financial risk, providing custodial or depository services, and dealing on behalf of securitisation product holders in financial products (Section 5(2)). Additionally, the exemption is contingent on the securitisation entity complying with specific conditions, such as obtaining financial product advice from a licensed financial services provider and ensuring that securitisation products are not acquired by retail clients (Section 5(3)). Entities seeking to rely on this exemption must adhere to certain obligations. They must reasonably believe they meet the criteria for being an insolvency-remote special purpose entity and must take reasonable steps to prevent the acquisition of securitisation products by retail clients. Moreover, if the service involves issuing securitisation products, dealing in derivatives or foreign exchange contracts, or providing custodial or depository services, the entity must ensure compliance with the conditions specified in Section 5(2). Furthermore, entities must provide services in accordance with financial product advice from a licensed provider and enter into written agreements that hold the provider liable for any negligence in providing such advice (Section 5(3)). Failure to comply with the provisions of this instrument can lead to serious consequences. Although the instrument itself does not specify penalties, any breach of the conditions for the exemption could potentially result in regulatory action under the Corporations Act 2001. Such actions could include fines, disqualification from managing corporations, or other civil or criminal penalties as prescribed by the Act. Additionally, if ASIC notifies an entity in writing that it may no longer rely on the exemption, the entity must cease to do so from the date specified in the notification (Section 5(4)).

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Corporate Law & Governance
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Exemptions & Exclusions
Regulatory Standards

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.