Brief: The NSW Modern Slavery Act which was set to come into play today on Monday, 1 July 2019, has been put on hold after news outlets reported unspecified “defects requiring urgent attention” had been identified by the state government, and that it would need to be “amended or repealed”.
These defects are alleged to derive from clashes with the existing Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act which was passed last November.
Both acts oblige businesses to report on the risk of modern slavery within their supply chains, however, the NSW iteration “goes further”, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, “applying to businesses with $50 million in turnover (though only if they have employees in NSW), establishing an anti-slavery commissioner, and containing penalties for non-compliance”.
The future and timeframe of the Act is unclear.
See also Lexology.
