Australia: Govt. extends reporting deadlines for entities required to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2018 by three months
28 April 2020
...[T]he Australian Government will extend the deadline for entities due to lodge statements in 2020 under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (the Act) by three months.
This three month deadline extension applies to all reporting entities under the Act operating on reporting periods that end on or before 30 June 2020.
“The Government's decision to temporarily extend reporting deadlines under the Modern Slavery Act recognises that the coronavirus pandemic is causing significant and unprecedented disruption for Australian businesses and global supply chains," Assistant Minister [Jason] Wood said.
[...]
"This three month deadline extension will provide reporting entities with additional time to assess changing modern slavery risks linked to the coronavirus pandemic and help ensure that they are able to comply with their legislative obligations."
The table below sets out the new reporting deadlines:
| Reporting period | Original deadline for submission of modern slavery statement | New, extended deadline for submission of modern slavery statement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2019 – 31 March 2020 (Foreign Financial Year) | 30 September 2020 | 31 December 2020 |
| 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020 (Australian Financial Year) | 31 December 2020 | 31 March 2021 |
| Reporting periods ending after 30 June 2020. | The six month deadline for reporting periods ending after 30 June 2020 remains unchanged. | |