Corporations (Fees) Amendment Regulations 1998 (No. 2)

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Corporations (Fees) Amendment Regulations 1998 (No. 2) 1998 No. 295

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

STATUTORY RULES 1998 No. 295

Issued by the Authority of the Treasurer

Corporations Act 1989

Corporations (Fees) Amendment Regulations 1998 (No. 2)

Section 22 of the Corporations Act 1989 (the Act) empowers the Governor-General to make regulations, not inconsistent with the Act or the Corporations Law, prescribing, among other things, matters which are required by the Corporations Law to be prescribed by regulations, or necessary or convenient to be prescribed by regulations for carrying out or giving effect to the Corporations Law. Section 25 provides that the regulations may prescribe fees for chargeable matters.

Section 33 of the Act imposes the fees that the Corporations Regulations of the Capital Territory prescribe.

The Corporations Regulations apply in the States and the Northern Territory by virtue of subsection 8(1) of the Corporations ([Name of State]) Acts. The fees that the Corporations Regulations prescribe are imposed in the States and the Northern Territory by section 22 of the Corporations ([Name of State]) Acts.

The Heads of Agreement on Future Corporate Regulation in Australia, reached between Commonwealth, State and Northern Territory Ministers who had responsibilities in relation to corporate regulation in June 1990 forms the political compact on which the national companies and securities scheme is based. The Corporations Agreement, a more formal agreement to supplement the Heads of Agreement, was finalised on 23 September 1997.

The responsible Ministers of the States and the Northern Territory on the Ministerial Council for Corporations have been consulted about the draft regulations, as required by the Corporations Agreement. The approval of the Ministerial Council is not required for amendments to regulations relating to fees.

The regulations:

*       omit 'ASC' and substitute 'ASIC' in a number of items in the Schedule of fees (Regulation 5).

-       These amendments reflect the change of name of the regulator, which was

previously known as the Australian Securities Commission and is now

known as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

-       The name of the Commission was changed to reflect its increased

functions with the enactment of the Financial Sector Reform legislation.

*       rename the Corporations (Fees) Regulations as the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 1990 (Regulation 4).

Details of the regulations are attached.

The Regulations commenced on gazettal.

ATTACHMENT

Regulation 1 - Name of Regulations

Regulation 1 provides that the regulations are the Corporations (Fees) Amendment Regulations 1998 (No. 2).

Regulation 2 - Commencement

Regulation 2 provides that the regulations commence on gazettal.

Regulation 3 - Amendment

Regulation 3 provides that the Corporations (Fees) Regulations are amended as set out in the regulations.

Regulation 4 - Citation

Regulation 4 substitutes a new Regulation 1 which renames the Corporations (Fees) Regulations as the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 1990.

Regulation 5 - Schedule (Fees)

Regulation 5 omits 'ASC' and substitutes 'ASIC' in eleven provisions in the Schedule of fees.

This amendment reflects the change of the name of the regulator, from the Australian Securities Commission to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, from 1 July 1998.

The Commission's name was changed by item 8 of Schedule 1 of the Financial Sector Reform (Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 1998, which commenced on 1 July 1998 and reflects the increased functions of the Commission with the enactment of the Financial Sector Reform legislation.

 

Overview

The Corporations (Fees) Amendment Regulations 1998 (No. 2) were introduced to update the regulatory framework by reflecting the change of the regulator's name from the Australian Securities Commission (ASC) to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Enacted under the Corporations Act 1989, the Regulations were authorised by the Governor-General to ensure consistency and relevance in the administration of corporate law. This change in nomenclature was necessitated by the expanded functions of the Commission, as outlined in the Financial Sector Reform (Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 1998, which came into effect on 1 July 1998. The objective was to maintain clarity and continuity in the legal framework governing corporate fees, aligning the legislative terminology with the evolving role of the regulatory body.

Scope and Application

The Corporations (Fees) Amendment Regulations 1998 (No. 2) pertains to the regulation of fees in relation to the administration of the Corporations Act 1989. These regulations amend the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 1990, primarily by updating the name of the regulatory body from the Australian Securities Commission (ASC) to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in various items of the Schedule of fees. This change reflects the shift in the regulatory body's name and expanded functions following the Financial Sector Reform legislation. The amended regulations apply nationally across the states and the Northern Territory, as mandated by the Heads of Agreement on Future Corporate Regulation in Australia and the subsequent Corporations Agreement. The regulations came into effect upon gazette and do not require approval from the Ministerial Council for amendments relating solely to fees.

Key Provisions

The Corporations (Fees) Amendment Regulations 1998 (No. 2) primarily amend the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 1990, reflecting the change in the name of the regulator from the Australian Securities Commission (ASC) to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Regulation 4 renames the Corporations (Fees) Regulations as the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 1990. Regulation 5 makes corresponding changes in the Schedule of fees by substituting 'ASIC' for 'ASC' in eleven provisions. These changes align with the Financial Sector Reform (Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 1998, which updated the name of the regulator on 1 July 1998 to reflect its expanded functions. These regulations impose specific obligations on entities that are subject to fees under the Corporations Act 1989. The fees prescribed by these regulations are required to be paid by entities in accordance with the Corporations (Fees) Regulations 1990. This includes corporate entities, trustees of companies, and other parties involved in corporate activities, ensuring they comply with the updated fee structures as stipulated by the ASIC. Breach of the requirements set forth in these regulations may lead to civil and administrative penalties. While specific penalties are not detailed within these regulations, they are generally governed by the Corporations Act 1989 and associated legislation. The penalties for non-compliance can include fines and other sanctions as prescribed by the relevant sections of the Act, ensuring that entities adhere to the updated fee requirements. The exact penalties would be determined based on the specific nature of the breach and the applicable sections of the Corporations Act.

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Corporate Law & Governance
Instrument
Regulation
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Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
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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.