Which Victoria laws apply?

Notify VIC WorkSafe of notifiable WHS incidents, PCBU primary duty of care (Victoria OHS Act s 21), Maintain VBA registration as builder / draftsperson / surveyor, Comply with the General Environmental Duty (VIC), Register for VIC portable LSL (construction) and Pay long service leave under the LSL Act 2018 (Vic)

Construction (residential & commercial) compliance obligations in Victoria: trading trust

Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine for a trading trust with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M, in construction (residential & commercial), operating in Victoria and selling to consumers and small businesses.

Short answer: 42 obligations

42 obligations apply (18 critical) across 27 regulators, plus 22 to check. Risk rating: medium. No licensed regime, but you employ staff (WHS, Fair Work, super and payroll duties); 18 critical obligations apply.

Trading trust or company: what changes

Compared with the same business run through a Pty Ltd company (6–19 employees) in Victoria, 1 obligation applies that did not, and 9 drop away.

Applies: Make trustee resolutions for trust distributions by 30 June

Victoria law that applies

6 Victoria obligations apply on these facts, and 5 more are worth checking:

Obligation	Why it applies
Notify VIC WorkSafe of notifiable WHS incidents	Every PCBU must notify the regulator of notifiable incidents (death, serious injury, dangerous incident) · VIC law
PCBU primary duty of care (Victoria OHS Act s 21)	Every business is a PCBU — the primary duty of care applies whether or not you employ anyone · VIC law
Maintain VBA registration as builder / draftsperson / surveyor	Industry: Construction (residential & commercial) · VIC law
Comply with the General Environmental Duty (VIC)	The Victorian general environmental duty applies to every business activity that could cause harm from pollution or waste · VIC law
Register for VIC portable LSL (construction)	You have employees (6–19) · Industry: Construction (residential & commercial) · VIC law
Pay long service leave under the LSL Act 2018 (Vic)	You have employees (6–19) · VIC law
Pay Victorian payroll tax when threshold met	Check: applies only if your annual Australian wages (grouped) exceed $1M
VIC planning permits (Planning and Environment Act 1987)	Check: applies only if you propose development requiring consent or a permit
VIC Environment Reference Standards (air, water, noise)	Check: applies only if you hold or need an EPA Victoria permission
Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic) — CHMP	Check: applies only if your activity disturbs land that may contain Aboriginal cultural heritage or is subject to native title
Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) — warranties	Check: applies only if you do domestic building work over $10,000

Payroll tax in Victoria (FY2026-27)

VIC: 4.85% on Australian wages above the $1 million tax-free threshold (FY2026-27). On these facts it may apply: 6–19 employees in VIC — enter annual payroll to confirm; it applies only if your annual Australian wages (grouped) exceed $1M.

How the threshold works: Full threshold below $3M of Australian wages; between $3M and $5M it phases out at 50% of wages over $3M; no threshold above $5M.
Surcharges: Above $10M Australian wages: mental health and wellbeing surcharge 0.5% + COVID-19 debt surcharge 0.5%; above $100M a further 0.5% each (2% total).
Regional concession: 1.2125% regional employer rate
Returns: Monthly by the 7th of the following month; annual reconciliation by 21 July
Administered by: SRO Vic

Victoria regulators

Where the obligations sit

Area	Obligations
Whs	8
Tax	7
Workplace	7
Super	2
Migration	2
Privacy	2
Consumer law	2
Lsl	2
Wages	1
Discrimination	1

Critical obligations on this profile

Check whether these apply

Thresholds to watch

Lose the Privacy Act small-business exemption at $3M annual turnover (removal of the exemption altogether is proposed, not yet law) (threshold $3M; very close)

Run the compliance journeyAnswer a short questionnaire about your business and get the obligations that apply to you, with the reason each one applies.

Questions

How many compliance obligations apply to construction (residential and commercial) businesses in Victoria run through a trading trust with 6–19 employees?: 42 obligations apply (18 critical) across 27 regulators, plus 22 to check. Risk rating: medium. No licensed regime, but you employ staff (WHS, Fair Work, super and payroll duties); 18 critical obligations apply.
Which Victoria laws apply?: Notify VIC WorkSafe of notifiable WHS incidents, PCBU primary duty of care (Victoria OHS Act s 21), Maintain VBA registration as builder / draftsperson / surveyor, Comply with the General Environmental Duty (VIC), Register for VIC portable LSL (construction) and Pay long service leave under the LSL Act 2018 (Vic)

Sources

Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.