From Voluntary to Mandatory: Australia’s Big Merger Reset

Australia’s mandatory merger control regime is now a live issue for boards, investors and dealmakers. From 2026, Australia transitions from its long-standing voluntary merger system to a mandatory, suspensory notification regime under Part IVA of the Competition and Consumer Act. Transactions with a sufficient nexus to Australia that meet prescribed thresholds must now be notified to the ACCC and cannot proceed without formal clearance; a structural shift in how capital is deployed and deals are executed. For domestic acquirers, global investors, and cross-border counterparties this reform materially changes transaction planning, timing, risk allocation and documentation. Join the CACC and Ashurst in Melbourne for a private boardroom briefing examining: • What the new regime means in practice for M&A and infrastructure transactions • How thresholds, filing requirements and review timelines will operate • Risk allocation in transaction documents under a suspensory system • Implications for foreign investors and cross-border capital flows • How boards and executives should adjust governance and deal strategy