In April 2022, the ATO issued 50,000 letters of demand to company directors giving them 21 days to resolve tax liabilities.

Historically, once ATO and major banks start escalating collection activity, it’s not uncommon to see insolvencies rise.

This piece from Holman Webb's Commercial Recovery and Insolvency Group highlights the impact that the ATO's issuance of these letters is likely to have within the building and construction industries.

The Australian Financial Review recently reported that “total construction sector inflation will hit 9.5 per cent over the year to June 2022, and 6 per cent over the year to December 2022”.

This increased financial pressure in the industry will heavily impact the likelihood of increased insolvency activity.

With the latest ABS statistics confirming that the CPI increased by 2.1% in the last quarter, and that inflation reached 5.1% over the 12 months to March 2022 quarter (the highest since 2001) - those in the building and construction industries have been particularly hard hit.

Higher inflation impacts:

• Supply chains: a shortage of materials has seen an increase of 3.8% in construction costs;
• Labour markets; and
• RBA interest rate rise: higher interest rates may lead to a dampening in economic activity.

These additional costs have flow on effects to construction activity, some of which may be far reaching.

On 21 June the New South Wales (NSW) Treasurer, the Hon. Matt Kean MP, announced a range of property-related as part of the 2022-2023 State Budget on 21 June 2022.  

These include:

• NSW Land Tax
• First Home Buyer Choice
• Shared Equity Scheme

Click through for an overview of these new measures, and how they are likely to impact you.

Click through to download Holman Webb Lawyers' new Minor Injury Guide, which assists those working within the CTP Insurance space in determining whether an injured person has sustained minor or non-minor injuries for the purpose of your liability decisions.  

On 15 June 2022, the High Court unanimously dismissed an appeal from a decision of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, in the case of Hill v Zuda as trustee for The Holly Superannuation Fund [2022] HCA 21.

The High Court ruled that Regulation 6.17A (Payment of a benefit on or after death) of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994, does not apply to binding death benefit notices in self-managed superannuation funds (‘SMSFs’). 

This means that binding death benefit notices are applicable to regulated superannuation funds that are not SMSFs, but that binding death benefit notices are not applicable to SMSFs.

Presented by CTP Insurance Partner Stephanie Davis on Thursday 16 June 2022, this webinar recording provides an overview of how the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017, Motor Accident Injuries Regulation 2017 and the Motor Accidents Guidelines work together to define minor injuries and the procedure for assessment of Minor Injury Disputes.

Click through to watch this webinar, and to download Holman Webb's recently published Minor Injury Guide, which highlights some recent Review Panel decisions concerning Minor Injury Disputes.

Important takeaways from the decision in Talevska v AAI Limited t/as AAMI [2022] NSWPICMP 82:

• Only one injury needs to fall outside the definition of “minor injury” to entitle the Claimant to ongoing statutory benefits and common law damages.
   
• The Review Panel dismissed an Application to assess other injuries on the basis it was no longer relevant.

Important takeaways from the decision in Muradi v QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd [2022] NSWPICMP 59:

• The Review Panel had regard to various studies addressing annular tears and determined that although the accident could have caused an annular tear, it did not cause the Claimant’s annular tear.
   
• The Review Panel considered that the Claimant’s symptoms were more likely attributable to damage to other musculoskeletal structures and psychological distress, than the annular tears.

Important takeaways from the decision in Venizelou v AAI Ltd [2021] NSWPICMP 215:

• The Panel accepted that further tearing of an already degenerate lateral meniscus caused by the accident was a partial rupture of the meniscus, and that such injury was not a minor injury for the purposes of the Motor Accident Injuries Act 2017.

Important takeaways from the decision in GIO Insurance (Australia) Ltd v Taouk [2021] NSWPICMP 193:

• Where the examination findings of the initial Assessor are not in dispute, a physical re-examination of the Claimant is not necessary, and is consistent with the objects of the PIC to “resolve the real issues in proceedings justly, quickly, cost effectively and with as little formality as possible” (see Section 3(c) of the Personal Injury Commission Act 2020).
   
• Although not determinative of causation, a lack of contemporaneous records of an injury will be a relevant factor, particularly if the contemporaneous records are detailed and are suggestive of “precision in questioning and recording”.