From 1 January 2026, Australia's new mandatory and suspensory merger regime requires ACCC clearance before completing acquisitions that hit set thresholds - e.g. combined Australian turnover of at least $200M with a target above $50M (or a global deal value over $250M), or a $500M-plus acquirer buying a target with $10M-plus Australian turnover. Acquisitions that meet the thresholds but complete without notifying are legally void, and the ACCC aims to clear about 80% of notified deals within 15-20 business days.
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New ACCC mandatory merger-approval regime now in force for Australian deals
Why this matters for founders
If you are being acquired by a large strategic buyer or rolling up competitors, check the ACCC thresholds early and build the mandatory pre-completion approval into your deal timeline - closing without it makes the transaction void.
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
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