本平台将致力于为您提供与您在澳洲的投资项目相关的法律信息与服务、同时也会将与中国企业及个人投资者热切关注的产业相关澳洲新闻、最新行业规定等讯息及时传递给您。
1. 政府
1.1 概况
澳大利亚是一个独立且稳定的民主国家。这是一个根据成文宪法组成的联邦。其中包括联邦政府(即联邦，总部设在堪培拉)、六个州和两个领地。澳大利亚联邦和每个州及领地由按照英国模式建立的议会管辖。联邦议会、州议会和领地议会都是通过所有18岁以上澳大利亚公民的强制性投票选举产生的。
1.2 联邦、州和领地政府
联邦政府的权力是由宪法规定的。其中包括金融、贸易、外交、海外投资、移民、社会保障、企业、交通、银行和知识产权。各州和领地承担没有在宪法中明确规定属于联邦责任的任何其它政府职能。但是,各州已经将部分权限转移至联邦,包括直接税收、卫生和教育的主要领域。
1.3 地方市政区
每个州又细分为由选举产生的市政厅管理的地方市政区。这些市政厅的职责包括城市规划、建设和发展的控制、并对其管辖区域内的居民提供服务。
2. 澳大利亚的企业结构
2.1 公司
公司是具有一个或多个共同目标的人的集合。公司受2011年公司法 (联邦) (公司法)的管辖。广义来讲公司可分为二类：
（a）私有（或私人）公司; 和
（b）公众公司
私有公司最常见的形式是股份有限公司。私有公司是拥有不超过50名非员工股东的私人公司。成立公司的好处是，其成员应付的责任仅限于各自的出资股本。在私有公司中，存在对于转让股份的限制，并禁止向公众提供或邀请公众认购其股份或债券。
对于公司的成立手续，与公众公司相比，私有公司具有多项优势，其中包括：
（a）仅要求拥有不低于一名的通常居住在澳大利亚的董事;
（b）没有举行年度股东会议的义务，且
（c）没有委任一名公司秘书的义务。
任何不属于私有公司的公司均为公众公司。其中包括在证券交易所的官方清单中所列的州或内部地区中成立的法人团体。公众公司的类型包括有限股份制公司、担保有限公司、无责任公司和无限责任公司。与私有公司相比，公众公司具有更频繁地披露和报告的要求，且必须拥有至少三名董事，其中二名必须通常居住在澳大利亚，且必须拥有至少一名公司秘书。公众公司的股东没有人数限制。
2.2 合资公司
两个或两个以上的个人或企业可以按照合资公司（JV）的形式进行经营。合资公司受普通法及合同法的管辖。可以成为法人或不成为法人（即，不是一个独立的法律实体）。非法人合资公司一般与合伙企业非常相似。在采矿和石油行业中以及非营利组织中，合资公司是一种非常常见的形式。合资公司通常是为了参与一个单独的项目而成立的，而不是为了经营一个持续的业务。
2.3 合伙企业
根据澳大利亚法律，合伙企业是共同开展业务以期盈利的人的联合。合伙企业不是独立的法人实体。伙伴关系受各州法律的管辖。
合伙企业的一个基本要素是“业务”的存在，包括商业、职业或专业。此外，业务还需要是根据每个案例的具体情况的事实共同经营的。
在无限责任合伙企业中，合伙人应对合伙企业的所有债务承担连带责任。在有限责任合伙企业中，合伙人通常被分为二类:
（a）“有限责任合伙人”，其责任仅限于预先协定的数额; 及
（b）“普通合伙人”，其责任是无限的，通常在经营活动中担任管理角色。
有限责任合伙企业必须至少具有一名普通合伙人和一名有限责任合伙人。有限责任合伙企业不是独立的法人实体。
2.4 信托
业务可以通过信托来开展。必须委任拥有该公司资产的受托人，且受托人代表该信托的受益人或以合法目标为目的（例如慈善机构）开展贸易活动。受托人可以是个人或公司，包括外国公司。信托不是独立的法人实体，但责任可能是有限的。一个信托的受托人通常是独立的法律实体，例如专门为担任这一角色而成立的公司。
受托人对受益人负有受信托的信托义务，并应承担一系列责任，包括忠实义务、避免利益冲突、充分披露、以及不谋求私人利益或收益。
信托可以是私有的或公开的。公开信托可以在证券交易所上市。
作者：豪力合伙人伊恩•罗伯逊（Ian Robertson）
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【专业干货——助您成功投资澳洲业务】
欲查阅之前我们发布的如下【在澳经商基本法律法规】主题系列以及与您生意相关的其他资讯，请进入订阅号点击右上角按钮，选择“查看历史消息”：
· 在澳大利亚成立公司须知
· 澳大利亚相关背景，例如包括澳大利亚政府制度、法律制度、企业结构
· 其他常见领域法律与规定，例如技术与知识产权保护、反垄断和消费者保护法、合同法、公开接管、电子商务、商业移民和雇主担保签证、房地产、环境法等
· 专业信息与见解，如对外商投资的监管要求等
（原创文章，欢迎转发，谢谢关注！未经授权，严禁转载！）
Doing Business in Australia – Government, Business Structures, Directors Duties and Insider Trading [Part 1]
1. Government
1.1 Introduction
Australia is an independent and stable democracy. It is a federation established by a written Constitution. It comprises a Federal Government (known as the Commonwealth, based in Canberra), six States and two Territories. The federation of Australia and each of the States and Territories are governed by parliaments based on the British model. The Commonwealth, State and Territory parliaments are elected by all Australians over 18 and voting is compulsory.
1.2 Federal, State and Territory Governments
The power of the Federal Government is specified in the Constitution. They include finance, trade, foreign affairs, foreign investment, immigration, social security, corporations, communications, banking and intellectual property. The States and Territories remain responsible for any government function that is not specified in the Constitution as a responsibility of the Commonwealth. However, the States have handed additional powers to the Commonwealth including major areas of direct taxation, health and education.
1.3 Local councils
Each State is divided into local council areas which are managed by an elected council. The council’s responsibilities include town planning, control of building and development, and the provision of services to residents within its area.
2. Business structures in Australia
2.1 Companies
A company is an association of a number of persons with a common object or objects. Companies are regulated by the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act). There are broadly two types of companies:
(a) proprietary (or private) companies; and
(b) public companies.
The most commonly used form of proprietary company is a company limited by shares. Proprietary companies are private companies with a maximum of 50 non-employee shareholders. The benefit of forming a company is that it limits the liability of its members to their respective contributed share capital. There are restrictions on proprietary companies relating to the right to transfer shares and prohibiting invitations or offers to the public to subscribe for its shares or debentures.
Proprietary companies enjoy a number of advantages over public companies with respect to set-up formalities including:
(a) the requirement to have a minimum of only one director who ordinarily resides in Australia;
(b) no obligation to hold an annual general meeting; and
(c) no obligation to appoint a company secretary.
Any company that is not a proprietary company is a public company. This includes a body corporate incorporated in a State or internal Territory which is included in the official list of a securities exchange. Types of public companies include those limited by shares, limited by guarantee, no liability companies, and unlimited liability companies. Public companies are subject to more onerous disclosure and reporting requirements than proprietary companies and must have at least three directors, two of whom must ordinarily reside in Australia and at least one company secretary. There is no limit to the number of shareholders of a public company.
2.2 Joint ventures
Two or more individuals or corporations may carry on business as a joint venture (JV). JVs are governed by common law and the law of contract. They may be incorporated or unincorporated (that is, not a separate legal entity). Unincorporated JVs are generally very similar to a partnership. JVs are common in the mining and petroleum industry as well as not-for-profit associations. JVs are often formed for participation in a single project rather than an ongoing business.
2.3 Partnerships
A partnership under Australian law is an association of persons who carry on business together with a view to profit. A partnership is not a separate legal entity. Partnerships are regulated under State legislation.
An essential element of a partnership is the existence of a ‘business’ which includes a trade, occupation or profession. There also needs to be a business that is being carried on in common which is a question of fact depending on the circumstances of each case.
In unlimited partnerships, partners are jointly and severally liable for all liabilities of the partnership. In limited partnerships there are usually two classes of partners:
(a) “limited partners”, whose liability is limited to a pre-contributed sum; and
(b) “general partners”, whose liability is unlimited and who generally undertake a managerial role in the activity of the business.
A limited partnership must have at least one general partner and at least one limited partner. A limited partnership is not a separate legal entity.
2.4 Trusts
A business may be carried on through a trust. A trustee needs to be appointed which owns the assets of the business and carries on the trading activities on behalf of the beneficiaries of the trust or in pursuit of a lawful aim (such as a charity). The trustee may be an individual or a corporation, including foreign companies. Trusts are not a separate legal entity but liability may be limited. Usually the trustee of a trust is a separate legal entity such as a company set up specifically to carry out this role.
A trustee owes a fiduciary duty of care to beneficiaries and has a number of duties imposed on it including the duty to act in good faith, to avoid conflicts of interest, make full disclosure, and not to make a secret profit or gain.
Trusts may be private or public. Public trusts can be listed on a securities exchange.
Author: Ian Robertson - Partner at Holding Redlich
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【We provide excellent expert advice to businesses wishing to invest in Australia.】
To view our previous news releases for Chinese investors and the following articles of the topic ‘Basic legal knowledge on doing business in Australia’, please click the upper-right button on our WeChat platform, andclick ‘view previous information’:
· Business set up in Australia, business structures, company administration, etc.
· Background information of Australia, including Australian government, legal system, and business structures, etc.
· Laws and regulations in various common areas, including protection of technology and intellectual property, anti-trust and consumer law, contract law, business migration, realproperty, public takeovers, and electronic commerce etc.
· Professional industrial updates and insights, such as regulation on foreign investment
