In a keynote address accompanying the release of its corporate plan, Australian Securities and Investments Commission Chair Sarah Court outlined a three-pillar strategy to make the regulator more responsive, improve early detection and prevention, and deliver targeted interventions with stronger consequences. The approach seeks to reduce unnecessary friction for compliant businesses while identifying and escalating higher-risk conduct more quickly. ASIC committed to cut information notices for thematic reviews by 15% and is modernizing its licensing framework so that 80% of routine Australian financial services licence applications are approved faster. It also expects to launch a fully digitized company registry system in 2027, simplifying registry interactions for about 3.5 million companies. The regulator will invest in its intelligence strategy and modernize misconduct-report triage to identify emerging risks sooner. It will shortly begin an annual, risk-based surveillance program for managed investment schemes, using financial, governance and distribution indicators to select schemes for review. ASIC has also commenced surveillance of audit conduct complaints across the Big Four audit firms and raised the need to close jurisdictional gaps that limit its oversight of audit firms and their leadership.
2026-08-26Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Australian Securities and Investments Commission sets three-pillar strategy, expands surveillance of managed schemes and Big Four auditors
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission outlined a three-pillar strategy focused on responsiveness, earlier risk detection and stronger consequences. It will cut thematic review notices by 15%, accelerate 80% of routine licence applications and begin annual risk-based surveillance of managed investment schemes. ASIC has also commenced surveillance of audit conduct complaints across the Big Four firms.