Compliance Overview

Compliance Framework
Compliance Driver Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 (Cth)
Classification Level 2
University-wide requirement. Lower impacts.
Associated Legislation
Associated Standards None
Associated Codes None
Associated Information None
Return to Top Administrative Information
Administrative Body Australian Government - Attorney General's Department
Administrative Name , Attorney General
Administrative Address  
Administrative Phone  
Administrative Email  
Administrative Website https://www.ag.gov.au/Integrity/Pages/default.aspx
Return to Top General Introduction
VC Compliance Delegate Chris Armstrong, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research
Compliance Coordinator Faraz Hasan, Director, Research Services
Business Units Impacted
  • Advancement, Communications, and Events Directorate
  • Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit
  • Australian Business Research Institute
  • Business Intelligence
  • Centre for Agriculture and Law
  • Centre for Analytics Software Infomatics
  • Centre for Applied Research in Social Science
  • Centre for Local Government
  • Collaborative Research Centres
  • Corporate Communications and Events
  • CRC for Beef Genetic Technologies
  • Education Enterprise
  • Education Quality
  • English Language Centre
  • Estate and Built Environment
  • Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education
  • Faculty of Medicine and Health
  • Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law
  • Finance
  • Growing Regional and Agricultural Students in Science
  • Heritage Centre
  • Heritage Futures Research Centre
  • Institute for Rural Futures
  • Internal Audit
  • Legal Services
  • Library Services
  • Office of Strategy Management
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer
  • Office of the Chief Legal and Governance Officer
  • Office of the Chief Operating Officer
  • Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor
  • Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
  • Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Innovation)
  • Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (External Relations)
  • Office of the Vice-Chancellor and CEO
  • Oorala Aboriginal Centre
  • People and Culture
  • Place Based@UNE
  • Records Team
  • Records, Policy and Governance Unit
  • Research Centres and Institutes
  • Research Services
  • Residential System
  • Rural Properties
  • School of Education
  • School of Environmental and Rural Science
  • School of Health
  • School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
  • School of Law
  • School of Psychology
  • School of Rural Medicine
  • School of Science and Technology
  • SportUNE
  • Strategic Procurement
  • Student Experience
  • Student Grievance Unit
  • Technology and Digital Services
  • The National Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Mathematics Education
  • UNE Business School
  • UNE Council
  • UNE Foundation Limited
  • UNE Foundation Trust
  • UNE International
  • UNE Life
  • UNE Life Pty Ltd
  • UNE Marketing
  • UNE Medical Centre
  • UNE Partnerships Pty Ltd
  • University Secretariat
  • Yarm Gwanga
Overview The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme aims to provide the public and government decision-makers with visibility of the nature, level and extent of foreign influence on Australia's government and political process. The scheme introduces registration obligations for persons and entities who have arrangements with, and undertake certain activities on behalf of, foreign principals. Whether a person or entity is required to register will depend on who the foreign principal is, the nature of the activities undertaken, the purpose for which the activities are undertaken, and in some cases, whether the person has held a senior public position in Australia.

Under the scheme, people or entities that undertake certain activities on behalf of a foreign principal for the purpose of political or governmental influence are required to register unless an exemption applies.

A foreign principal includes: a foreign government; a foreign political organisation; a foreign government related entity and a foreign government related individual.
Categories of registrable activities include: parliamentary lobbying on behalf of a foreign government; parliamentary lobbying on behalf of other kinds of foreign principals for the purpose of political or governmental influence; •general political lobbying for the purpose of political or governmental influence; communications activities for the purpose of political or government influence; disbursement activities for the purpose of political or governmental influence; activities undertaken by former Cabinet ministers on behalf of a foreign principal
•activities undertaken by recent designated position holders in the 15 year period immediately following their public role where those activities draw on the knowledge, skills or experience gained in their previous role.

UNE may have an obligation to report in the event that it is involved in or aware of a registrable activity.
The scheme also:
•allows for the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department to issue a transparency notice if the Secretary is satisfied that a person is a foreign government related entity, or a foreign government related individual, and
•establishes criminal offences ranging from failing to comply with obligations under the scheme, through to failing to register in circumstances where a person is required to do so.