Timeline
The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA) is Australia's primary competition and consumer protection law, embedding the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in Schedule 2 while regulating anti-competitive conduct. Recent mergers reforms introduce mandatory notifications from 1 January 2026, the biggest change since 1974.
Major Amendments (Post-2022)
Focus on mergers, penalties, and digital markets.
| Year | Key Act | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Treasury Laws Amendment (More Competition, Better Prices) Act 2022 | Bans unfair contract terms (UCTs) with penalties; merger factors include market concentration; higher penalties (greater of $50M/30% turnover). |
| 2024 | Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Act 2024 (Royal Assent 28 Nov 2024) | Mandatory/suspensory merger regime; ACCC notification for notifiable acquisitions; Tribunal review; serial acquisition thresholds. |
| 2025 | Competition and Consumer (Notification of Acquisitions) Determination 2025 (30 Dec 2025); Amendment Determination (18 Dec 2025) | Details thresholds (e.g., asset/turnover), exemptions, waivers, fees; control thresholds from 1 Apr 2026. |
| 2025 | Compilation No. 158 (1 Apr 2025) | Includes Act No. 136, 2024. |
Overall Progression
-
2010/1 Jan 2011: Renames Trade Practices Act; national ACL uniformizes consumer laws.
-
2017: Harper reforms (effects test for misuse of power).
-
2018–2021: Penalty alignment, CDR (data right), news bargaining code.
-
2022–2026: UCT bans effective Nov 2023; merger regime overhaul operational Jan 2026.
Related Legislation
-
ASIC Act 2001: Financial services ACL mirror.
-
Don’t Pay More Than $10 for Bread Act? No—sector codes under CCA Part IVB (e.g., Franchising Code).
-
Telecommunications Act 1997: Sector-specific competition.
This trajectory addresses digital concentration and consumer harms via stronger ACCC tools.