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Professional Indemnity Australia Weekly Risk and Insurance News

Each week, Professional Indemnity Australia brings a clear, plain-English wrap of the news affecting professionals and small businesses across the country. We cover industry developments, regulatory updates, notable cases, and emerging risk trends—distilling what changed, why it matters, and practical takeaways you can act on. Expect concise, trustworthy coverage tailored to consultants, contractors, and SMEs, helping you stay informed, compliant, and confident without the noise.

This Week:

Paige Estritori covers four updates for Australian professionals and small businesses for the week ending 11 January 2026: a new OAIC privacy compliance sweep, the 1 January cash acceptance rule with penalties from 1 July 2026, Queenslands SME‑friendly procurement changes, and a 2026 cyber‑scam alert. Quick takeaways focus on privacy practice checks, updating payment procedures, keeping PI documents ready for tenders, and tightening anti‑fraud controls. Listeners are invited to visit professional-indemnity-australia.com.au to compare professional indemnity insurance options.

EPISODE 1134 | Professional Indemnity Australia Weekly Risk and Insurance News | Sun, 11th Jan 2026

18 Jan 2026 | Paige Estritori

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Read Full Transcript:

Welcome to Professional Indemnity Australia Weekly Risk and Insurance News, Im Paige Estritori, and its Sunday 11 January 2026. First up, Australias privacy regulator, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, has kicked off its first privacy compliance sweep for the year. Its checking whether businesses that collect personal information have compliant policies and practices. If your firm handles client data, review your privacy policy, staff training, and breach response. Make sure your professional indemnity insurance, or PI, and any cyber cover work together so legal costs and investigations arent left to you. Next up, the new cash acceptance rule started on 1 January. Fuel and grocery retailers must accept cash up to about $500 for essentials. Small businesses under $10 million turnover are generally exempt, unless they share a trademark with a bigger chain. Penalties are due from 1 July 2026, so update point‑of‑sale settings, signage, and refund procedures now and document the changes. Meanwhile, Queenslands procurement overhaul is live. The state wants more contracts flowing to small and regional firms and will publish spending data to lift transparency. If you bid for government work, expect tighter paperwork. Keep your PI certificate of currency handy, alongside WHS and quality documents, so you can respond fast when tenders drop. And to cyber risk: expect more “deepfake boss” voice prompts, invoice redirection, and hyper‑polished phishing emails this year. The fix is simple habits that stick: mandate call‑backs on bank detail changes, use multi‑factor authentication, lock payments behind two‑person checks, and run short refreshers for your team. These steps cut fraud losses and reduce the chance of a client claim landing on your PI policy. Thats the wrap. For clear guidance and to compare professional indemnity insurance for your business, head to professional-indemnity-australia.com.au.

The information on this website is general in nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Consider seeking personal advice from a licensed adviser before acting on any information.