{"id":"lobbyists-act-2015","name":"Lobbyists Act 2015","slug":"lobbyists-act-2015","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"sa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":105810,"registerId":"sa-lobbyists-act-2015-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Lobbyists Act 2015","content":"South Australia\nLobbyists Act 2015\nAn Act to regulate the lobbying of public officials; and for other purposes.\n\nContents\nPart 1—Preliminary\n1\tShort title\n2\tCommencement\n3\tInterpretation\n4\tMeaning of lobbying\nPart 2—Registration\n5\tLobbyists to be registered\n6\tEntitlement to be registered\n7\tApplication for registration\n8\tAnnual fee and return\n9\tDuration of registration and cancellation and surrender\n10\tRegister of lobbyists\n11\tNotification of change of details\n12\tExclusion of information from register\nPart 3—Restrictions on lobbying\n13\tCertain former or current public officials must not engage in lobbying\n14\tSuccess fees prohibited\nPart 4—Reviews\n15\tReviews\nPart 5—Miscellaneous\n16\tDelegation by Chief Executive\n17\tFalse or misleading information\n18\tService of notice\n19\tRegulations\nSchedule 1—Transitional provisions\n1\tSuccess fees\nLegislative history\n\nThe Parliament of South Australia enacts as follows:\nPart 1—Preliminary\n1—Short title\nThis Act may be cited as the Lobbyists Act 2015.\n2—Commencement\nThis Act will come into operation on a day to be fixed by proclamation.\n3—Interpretation\nIn this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—\nChief Executive means the Chief Executive of the administrative unit of the Public Service that is responsible for assisting a Minister in the administration of this Act;\ngovernment board means a body corporate—\n\t(a)\tcomprised of persons, or with a governing body comprised of persons, a majority of whom are appointed by the Governor, a Minister or an agency or instrumentality of the Crown; or\n\t(b)\tsubject to control or direction by a Minister;\nlobbying—see section 4;\npublic official means—\n\t(a)\ta Minister or Parliamentary Secretary; or\n\t(b)\ta member of staff of a Minister or Parliamentary Secretary (including a member of staff in an electorate office); or\n\t(c)\tany other Member of Parliament or a member of staff of such a Member; or\n\t(d)\ta public sector employee; or\n\t(e)\tan individual who is engaged under a contract to provide services to or on behalf of a public sector agency; or\n\t(f)\ta member of a government board;\npublic sector agency has the same meaning as in the Public Sector Act 2009;\npublic sector employee has the same meaning as in the Public Sector Act 2009;\nregister means the register of lobbyists under section 10;\nregistration means registration under Part 2.\n4—Meaning of lobbying\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of this Act, a person will be taken to engage in lobbying if the person, for money or other valuable consideration, communicates with a public official (in person, in writing or by telephone or other electronic means) on behalf of a third party for the purpose of influencing the outcome of—\n\t(a)\tlegislation, or a government decision or policy, whether existing or proposed; or\n\t(b)\tan application for any approval, consent, licence, permit, exemption or other authorisation or entitlement under any Act or law of this State; or\n\t(c)\tthe awarding of a contract or grant or the allocation of funding; or\n\t(d)\tany other exercise by the official of his or her functions or powers,\n(whether the person is acting as a principal in so communicating or as an employee or agent of another).\n\t(2)\tHowever, a person will not be taken to engage in lobbying—\n\t(a)\tif the person holds office as a public official and communicates with the public official in the ordinary course of holding that office; or\n\t(b)\tif the person is a legal practitioner (holding a current practising certificate under the Legal Practitioners Act 1981) and communicates with the public official in the ordinary course of that person's profession as a legal practitioner; or\n\t(c)\tif the person is an accountant or financial adviser (holding qualifications of a kind prescribed by regulation) and acts in circumstances prescribed by regulation; or\n\t(d)\tif the person belongs to a class prescribed by regulation and acts in circumstances prescribed by regulation.\n\t(3)\tFor the purposes of subsection (1), a person will not be taken to communicate with a public official on behalf of a third party if the third party is a designated organisation and the person, being an employee of the organisation, communicates with the public official in the ordinary course of that employment.\n\t(4)\tIn this section—\ndesignated organisation means—\n\t(a)\tan employer organisation, employee organisation, professional organisation or some other organisation established to represent the industrial or professional interests of its members; or\n\t(b)\tan organisation established for a charitable, educational, benevolent, humanitarian, religious, recreational, sporting or philanthropic purpose; or\n\t(c)\tan organisation, or an organisation of a kind, prescribed by regulation.\nPart 2—Registration\n5—Lobbyists to be registered\n\t(1)\tA person must not engage in lobbying except in accordance with a registration under this Act.\nMaximum penalty: \n\t(a)\tin the case of a body corporate—$150 000;\n\t(b)\tin the case of a natural person—$30 000 or imprisonment for 2 years.\n\t(2)\tIf a person is found guilty of an offence against this section, the amount or value of any payment (whether monetary or non‑monetary) received by the person for lobbying while the person was not registered is, unless the court otherwise orders, forfeited to the Crown.\n\t(3)\tIn proceedings for an offence against this section, or on appeal, the court may order that the amount or value of the payment not be forfeited or, if it has been forfeited, that it be returned to a specified person. \n\t(4)\tFor the purposes of this section, the value of a non‑monetary payment may be determined by the court on the basis of a reasonable estimate in dollars of the value of the non‑monetary payment to the defendant.\n6—Entitlement to be registered\nA person is entitled to be registered if—\n\t(a)\tthe person is, in accordance with this Act, entitled to apply for registration1; and\n\t(b)\tin addition—\n\t(i)\tin the case of a natural person, the person—\n\t(A)\thas not been convicted of an indictable offence; or\n\t(B)\thas not, during the period of 10 years preceding the application for registration, been convicted of a summary offence of dishonesty; or\n\t(ii)\tin the case of a body corporate, no director of the body corporate—\n\t(A)\thas been convicted of an indictable offence; or\n\t(B)\thas, during the period of 10 years preceding the application for registration, been convicted of a summary offence of dishonesty.\nNote—\n1\tSection 9(3) and section 13(1)(a)(ii), and (c)(ii) of this Act disentitle persons from applying for registration in certain circumstances.\n7—Application for registration\n\t(1)\tAn application for registration—\n\t(a)\tmust be made to the Chief Executive in the manner and form determined by the Chief Executive; and\n\t(b)\tmust be accompanied by the fee (if any) fixed by regulation.\n\t(2)\tThe Chief Executive may, by notice in writing, require a person to provide information or further information in connection with an application for registration, verified, if necessary, by statutory declaration.\n\t(3)\tThe Chief Executive—\n\t(a)\tmust refuse an application for registration if satisfied that the applicant is not entitled to be registered under section 6; or\n\t(b)\tmay, without further notice, refuse an application for registration if the person fails to comply with a notice under subsection (2) within 28 days after service of the notice.\n\t(4)\tThe Chief Executive must notify the person in writing of the refusal of the person's application for registration.\n8—Annual fee and return\n\t(1)\tSubject to subsection (3), a registered person must, not later than 30 days (or such longer period prescribed by regulation) after the end of a calendar year—\n\t(a)\tpay to the Chief Executive the fee (if any) fixed by regulation; and\n\t(b)\tlodge with the Chief Executive a return that contains the following details in relation to that calendar year:\n\t(i)\tthe name of each person or body for or on behalf of whom the registered person has engaged in lobbying, or with whom the person has had an agreement to engage in lobbying;\n\t(ii)\tthe name of each public official who was lobbied by the registered person;\n\t(iii)\tthe subject matter of the lobbying engaged in;\n\t(iv)\tthe name of any person employed by or otherwise engaged by the registered person to engage in lobbying (whether or not the person in fact engaged in lobbying);\n\t(v)\tany other details prescribed by regulation.\n\t(2)\tThe Chief Executive may, by notice in writing—\n\t(a)\trequire a registered person to provide, within the period specified in the notice, information or further information in connection with a return, verified, if necessary, by statutory declaration; or\n\t(b)\trequire a registered person who has failed to pay the fee or lodge the return in accordance with this section to make good the default and, in addition, to pay to the Chief Executive the amount prescribed by regulation as a penalty for default.\n\t(3)\tA registered person is not required to pay a fee and lodge a return under this section if the person only engaged in lobbying as an employee of, or person otherwise engaged by, another registered person during the calendar year to which the return relates.\n9—Duration of registration and cancellation and surrender\n\t(1)\tA person's registration remains in force until—\n\t(a)\tthe registration is cancelled or surrendered; or\n\t(b)\tthe person dies or, in the case of a body corporate, is dissolved.\n\t(2)\tThe Chief Executive—\n\t(a)\tmust cancel a person's registration if satisfied that—\n\t(i)\tevents have occurred such that the person is no longer entitled to be registered; or\n\t(ii)\tthe person was not, when first applying for registration, entitled to be registered; and\n\t(b)\tmay, without further notice, cancel a person's registration if satisfied that—\n\t(i)\tthe person has failed to comply with a requirement under this Act; or\n\t(ii)\tthe person has breached a condition of an exemption under section 12 or a condition of the person's registration under section 13.\n\t(3)\tIf a person's registration is cancelled under subsection (2), the person is disqualified from holding registration, and is not entitled to apply for registration, for a period of 2 years from the date of the cancellation.\n\t(4)\tThe Chief Executive must notify the person in writing of the cancellation of the person's registration under subsection (2).\n\t(5)\tA registered person may surrender his or her registration in the manner prescribed by regulation.\n10—Register of lobbyists\n\t(1)\tThe Chief Executive must keep a register of persons who engage in lobbying.\n\t(2)\tSubject to section 12, the register must include the following details in relation to each person who engages in lobbying (to the extent to which they are applicable):\n\t(a)\tthe name, including any business name or trading name, of the person;\n\t(b)\tthe business address of the person;\n\t(c)\tthe ABN of the person;\n\t(d)\tthe name of each owner of the person's business and any partners or major shareholders in the business;\n\t(e)\tthe name of each employee of, or person otherwise engaged by, the person and their positions in the business;\n\t(f)\tany condition of registration applying in relation to the person under section 13;\n\t(g)\teach return provided by the person under section 8(1);\n\t(h)\tany details provided to the Chief Executive under section 11(1)(a) in relation to new lobbying agreements;\n\t(i)\tany other details considered appropriate by the Chief Executive or prescribed by regulation.\n\t(3)\tThe Chief Executive may remove from the register details relating to a person whose registration is no longer in force.\n\t(4)\tThe register is to be available for inspection by members of the public—\n\t(a)\twithout fee, during ordinary office hours at a public office, or public offices, determined by the Chief Executive; and\n\t(b)\ton a website determined by the Chief Executive.\n11—Notification of change of details\n\t(1)\tA registered person must comply with the following notification requirements:\n\t(a)\tsubject to subsection (2), the person must notify the Chief Executive, as soon as reasonably practicable after entering into any new agreement with a person or body to engage in lobbying, of the details prescribed by regulation in relation to that agreement;\n\t(b)\tthe person must notify the Chief Executive of the following matters within 14 days of their occurrence:\n\t(i)\tany conviction of an offence that disentitles the person to be registered under section 6;\n\t(ii)\tany change in the person's registered details referred to in section 10(2)(a) to (f) (inclusive).\nMaximum penalty: $5 000.\n\t(2)\tA registered person is not required to notify the Chief Executive of the details referred to in subsection (1)(a) in relation to a new agreement if the person is only to be engaged in lobbying under the agreement as an employee of, or person otherwise engaged by, another registered person who is a party to the agreement.\n12—Exclusion of information from register\n\t(1)\tThe Chief Executive may, on his or her own initiative or on application by a registered person, exempt some or all of the person's details provided in a return under section 8(1) or provided under section 11(1)(a) from inclusion in the register if satisfied that the details consist of—\n\t(a)\tpersonal information of a confidential nature; or\n\t(b)\tinformation that has a commercial or other value that would be, or could reasonably be expected to be, destroyed or diminished if the information were disclosed; or\n\t(c)\tinformation the disclosure of which would, or could reasonably be expected to, prejudice the commercial position of a person or confer a commercial advantage on a person; or\n\t(d)\tinformation the disclosure of which would be contrary to the public interest for any other reason; or\n\t(e)\tinformation the disclosure of which would be inappropriate for any other reason.\n\t(2)\tAn application under subsection (1)—\n\t(a)\tmust be made to the Chief Executive in the manner and form determined by the Chief Executive; and\n\t(b)\tmust be accompanied by the fee (if any) fixed by regulation.\n\t(3)\tAn exemption granted on an application by a person under subsection (1)—\n\t(a)\tmust be by notice in writing to the person; and\n\t(b)\tis subject to—\n\t(i)\ta condition that the exemption be reviewed by the Chief Executive in a manner prescribed by regulation for the purpose of determining whether the grounds for exemption still exist; and\n\t(ii)\tany other conditions specified in the exemption or prescribed by regulation; and\n\t(c)\tmay be varied by notice in writing to the person; and\n\t(d)\tremains in force until—\n\t(i)\t1 January next following its grant; or\n\t(ii)\tsuch time as it may be revoked by the Chief Executive by notice in writing to the person (following a determination by the Chief Executive on a review under paragraph (b)(i) that the grounds for exemption no longer exist),\nwhichever is sooner.\n\t(4)\tAn exemption granted on the Chief Executive's own initiative may be varied or revoked at any time without notice.\n\t(5)\tDetails excluded from the register under an exemption under this section must be included in the register on expiry or revocation of the exemption.\n\t(6)\tInformation that is subject to an exemption under this section is not liable to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 1991.\nPart 3—Restrictions on lobbying\n13—Certain former or current public officials must not engage in lobbying\n\t(1)\tSubject to subsections (2) and (3)—\n\t(a)\tthe following provisions apply in relation to a person who ceases to hold office as a Minister:\n\t(i)\tthe person must not, during the period of 2 years after ceasing to hold that office, engage in lobbying;\n\t(ii)\tthe person is not entitled to apply for registration during that period;\n\t(iii)\tany registration held by the person during that period is, by force of this section, cancelled; and\n\t(b)\tthe following provisions apply in relation to a person who ceases to hold office as a Parliamentary Secretary, a member of SAES (within the meaning of the Public Sector Act 2009) or a person engaged as a member of a Minister's personal staff under section 71 of that Act:\n\t(i)\tthe person must not, during the period of 12 months after ceasing to hold that office, engage in lobbying in respect of matters dealt with by the person in the ordinary course of holding that office;\n\t(ii)\tany registration held by the person during that period is, by force of this section, for the duration of that period, subject to a condition that the person must not engage in lobbying in respect of matters dealt with by the person in the ordinary course of holding that office; and\n\t(c)\tthe following provisions apply in relation to a member of a government board:\n\t(i)\tthe person must not engage in lobbying during that period of membership;\n\t(ii)\tthe person is not entitled to apply for registration during that period;\n\t(iii)\tany registration held by the person during that period is, by force of this section, cancelled.\n\t(2)\tIf more than 1 paragraph of subsection (1) applies in relation to a person, all restrictions contained in the relevant paragraphs apply concurrently, with the most stringent restriction prevailing in the event of any inconsistency.\n\t(3)\tSubsection (1)(a) and (b) do not apply in relation to a person who ceased office before the commencement of those respective paragraphs.\n14—Success fees prohibited\n\t(1)\tA person must not give or receive, or agree to the giving or receipt of, a success fee for carrying on the business of lobbying.\nMaximum penalty: \n\t(a)\tin the case of a body corporate—$150 000;\n\t(b)\tin the case of a natural person—$30 000 or imprisonment for 2 years.\n\t(2)\tIf a person is found guilty of an offence against this section, the amount or value of the success fee is, unless the court otherwise orders, forfeited to the Crown.\n\t(3)\tIn proceedings for an offence against this section, or on appeal, the court may order that the amount or value of the success fee not be forfeited or, if it has been forfeited, that it be returned to a specified person.\n\t(4)\tFor the purposes of this section, the value of a non‑monetary success fee may be determined by the court on the basis of a reasonable estimate in dollars of the value of the non‑monetary success fee to the defendant.\n\t(5)\tIn this section—\nsuccess fee, in relation to lobbying, is an amount of money or other valuable consideration, the receipt of which is contingent on the outcome of the lobbying.\nPart 4—Reviews\n15—Reviews\n\t(1)\tA person—\n\t(a)\twhose application for registration has been refused by the Chief Executive; or\n\t(b)\twhose registration has been cancelled,\nmay seek a review of the Chief Executive's decision by the Tribunal under section 34 of the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013.\n\t(2)\tSubject to subsection (4), an application for review may be made to the Tribunal within 1 month after the making of the Chief Executive's decision.\n\t(3)\tThe Chief Executive must, if so required by the person, state in writing the reasons for the Chief Executive's decision.\n\t(4)\tIf the reasons of the Chief Executive are not given in writing at the time of the making of the Chief Executive's decision and the person (within 1 month of the making of the decision) requires the Chief Executive to state the reasons in writing, the time for making an application for review runs from the time at which the person receives the written statement of those reasons.\n\t(5)\tIn this section—\nTribunal means the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal established under the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013.\nPart 5—Miscellaneous\n16—Delegation by Chief Executive\n\t(1)\tThe Chief Executive may, by instrument in writing, delegate a power or function under this Act—\n\t(a)\tto a particular person; or\n\t(b)\tto the person for the time being performing particular duties or holding or acting in a specified position.\n\t(2)\tA power or function delegated under this section may, if the instrument of delegation so provides, be further delegated.\n\t(3)\tA delegation—\n\t(a)\tmay be absolute or conditional; and\n\t(b)\tdoes not derogate from the power of the delegator to act personally in a matter; and\n\t(c)\tis revocable at will.\n17—False or misleading information\nA person must not make a statement that is false or misleading in a material particular (whether by reason of the inclusion or omission of any particular) in any information provided under this Act.\nMaximum penalty: $10 000.\n18—Service of notice\n\t(1)\tA notice or other document required or authorised to be given to a person for the purposes of this Act may—\n\t(a)\tbe given to the person personally; or\n\t(b)\tbe posted in an envelope addressed to the person—\n\t(i)\tat the person's last known address; or\n\t(ii)\tat the person's address for service; or\n\t(c)\tbe left for the person at the address for service with someone apparently over the age of 16 years; or\n\t(d)\tbe transmitted by fax or e‑mail to a fax number or e‑mail address provided by the person (in which case the notice will be taken to have been given at the time of transmission).\n\t(2)\tThe address for service of a registered person is the address for the person that appears in the register.\n19—Regulations\n\t(1)\tThe Governor may make such regulations as are contemplated by this Act, or as are necessary or expedient for the purposes of this Act.\n\t(2)\tWithout limiting the generality of subsection (1), the regulations may—\n\t(a)\tregulate the conduct of—\n\t(i)\tpersons who engage in lobbying; or\n\t(ii)\tpersons who employ or otherwise engage such persons; and\n\t(b)\tprovide for or in relation to the payment, recovery, refund or waiver of fees payable under this Act; and\n\t(c)\tfix fines (not exceeding $5 000) for offences against the regulations; and\n\t(d)\tfix expiation fees (not exceeding $315) for alleged offences against the regulations.\n\t(3)\tThe regulations may incorporate, or operate by reference to, a code of conduct as in force at a specified time or as in force from time to time.\n\t(4)\tIf a code of conduct is referred to or incorporated in the regulations—\n\t(a)\ta copy of the code must be kept available for inspection by members of the public, without charge and during normal office hours, at an office determined by the Chief Executive;\n\t(b)\tevidence of the contents of the code may be given in legal proceedings by production of a document apparently certified by the Chief Executive to be a true copy of the code.\n\t(5)\tA regulation may—\n\t(a)\tbe of general or limited application and may vary in operation according to factors stated in the regulation; and\n\t(b)\tleave a matter or thing to be determined, dispensed with, regulated or prohibited according to the discretion of the Chief Executive either generally or in a particular case or class of cases; and\n\t(c)\texempt (conditionally or unconditionally) a person or class of persons from specified provisions of this Act.\n\t(6)\tThe Governor may, by regulation, make additional provisions of a saving or transitional nature consequent on the enactment of this Act.\n\t(7)\tA provision of a regulation made under subsection (6) may, if the regulation so provides, take effect from the commencement of this subsection or from a later day.\n\t(8)\tTo the extent to which a provision takes effect under subsection (7) from a day earlier than the day of the regulation's publication in the Gazette, the provision does not operate to the disadvantage of a person by—\n\t(a)\tdecreasing the person's rights; or\n\t(b)\timposing liabilities on the person.\nSchedule 1—Transitional provisions\n1—Success fees\n\t(1)\tIf a success fee is payable in accordance with an agreement that was in place immediately before the commencement of section 14, the agreement is, on that commencement, void to the extent that it provides for a success fee to be given or received for lobbying engaged in on or after that commencement.\n\t(2)\tSection 14 does not apply in respect of a success fee that is given or received within 3 months after the commencement of that section, provided that the success fee relates to lobbying engaged in before that commencement.\nLegislative history\nNotes\n\t•\tFor further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.\nPrincipal Act\nYear\nNo\nTitle\nAssent\nCommencement\n2015\n25\nLobbyists Act 2015 \n1.10.2015\n4.4.2016—date varied (Gazette 25.2.2016 p703)\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act sets a broad baseline definition of lobbying (section 4) and then narrows practical application through multiple mechanisms: specified non‑lobbying exceptions (section 4(2)–(4)), the Chief Executive's power to exempt return details from the public register and exclude them from FOI (section 12), and regulation‑making powers that can vary application by class and incorporate codes of conduct (section 19). Schedule 1 also alters existing commercial arrangements by voiding or limiting pre‑existing success‑fee agreements on commencement. Taken together, these provisions mean the operational scope experienced by lobbyists will differ from the Act's initial broad framing because subordinate powers and exemptions can materially constrain or refine which persons, communications and commercial arrangements are captured."},"complexity_factors":["Broad statutory definition of \"lobbying\" with multiple carve‑outs and exceptions (section 4)","Criminal and civil penalties combined with forfeiture powers for non‑compliance (sections 5, 14, 17)","Extensive administrative discretion vested in the Chief Executive (sections 7, 9, 10, 12) and power to delegate (section 16)","Regulations and codes may materially change application and leave matters to the Chief Executive's discretion (section 19(3)–(5))","Reporting and recordkeeping obligations, including specific annual returns and notification timeframes (sections 8 and 11)","Exemptions from public disclosure with mandatory review conditions and FOI exclusion (section 12)","Interaction and cross‑references with other statutes and instruments (Public Sector Act 2009, Legal Practitioners Act 1981, Freedom of Information Act 1991) embedded in definitions and exclusions (sections 3, 4 and 12(6))","Transitional provisions that void or limit pre‑existing commercial arrangements (Schedule 1)"],"plain_english_summary":"What the law mechanically changes\n\n- It creates a statutory system that requires people who are paid to communicate with public officials on behalf of third parties to register as lobbyists (see sections 4 and 5). Registered lobbyists must file annual returns and pay any fees set by regulation (sections 8 and 7). The Chief Executive keeps a public register of lobbyists (section 10).\n- The Act defines \"lobbying\" broadly to cover paid communications aimed at influencing legislation, government decisions or policy, approvals, contracts, grants or any exercise of a public official's functions (section 4(1)). It also lists classes of communications and persons that are not taken to be lobbying (section 4(2)–(4)).\n- The Act prohibits certain practices: lobbying while unregistered (section 5) and charging or receiving a \"success fee\" contingent on an outcome (section 14). It also places time-limited post‑employment restrictions on former Ministers, some ministerial staff and some government board members (section 13). Schedule 1 cancels or limits pre-existing success‑fee arrangements on commencement.\n- Enforcement tools include criminal fines and imprisonment for serious breaches (sections 5 and 14), forfeiture of payments received while unregistered or of success fees (sections 5(2) and 14(2)), civil review rights to the Tribunal (section 15), and penalties for false or misleading statements (section 17).\n\nOfficial purpose claim and how the Act implements it\n\n- The Act is presented as \"an Act to regulate the lobbying of public officials\" (short title). Mechanically, it implements that claim by (a) setting a statutory definition of lobbying (section 4), (b) making registration compulsory and public (sections 5, 7, 8, 10), (c) requiring disclosures (sections 8 and 11), and (d) banning contingent success fees and imposing post‑employment restrictions (sections 13 and 14).\n\nTesting the official purpose against costs, incentives and trade‑offs\n\n- Who pays: Lobbyists and lobbying firms pay fees and administrative costs for applications and annual returns (sections 7 and 8). They also face the risk of fines, imprisonment and forfeiture of payments for breaches (sections 5, 14, 17).\n\n- Who decides and where discretion sits: The Chief Executive controls registration, can require additional information, may refuse or cancel registration, and manages exemptions from public disclosure (sections 7, 9, 10, 12). The Chief Executive may delegate these powers (section 16). Regulations may further define classes, fees, exemptions and codes of conduct and may leave matters to the Chief Executive's discretion (section 19(2)–(5)). These provisions concentrate significant administrative discretion with the Chief Executive and through delegated regulation.\n\n- Compliance burden and administrative costs: Registered persons must submit annual returns listing clients, public officials contacted and subjects lobbied (section 8(1)), and must notify new agreements and certain changes within 14 days (section 11). Failure to comply can lead to cancellation, penalties or additional default charges (sections 9(2), 8(2)). These impose recurring reporting and recordkeeping obligations on businesses and individuals who lobby.\n\n- Effects on private contracts and pricing: The blanket prohibition on contingent \"success fees\" removes a class of remuneration arrangements for lobbying services (section 14 and Schedule 1). That limitation alters the contractual options available to lobbying firms and their clients; firms must rely on time‑based, fixed or retainer fee models instead of outcome‑contingent deals.\n\n- Effects on employment and mobility: Time‑limited post‑employment bans restrict former Ministers (2 years), some ministerial staff and senior public servants (generally 12 months) from undertaking lobbying work in specified areas (section 13). Those restrictions limit certain post‑public‑office commercial opportunities for affected individuals during the specified periods.\n\n- Transparency versus confidentiality trade‑off: The register is public and includes business names, ABNs, owners and employee lists and returns (section 10). However, the Chief Executive may exempt specified return information from public disclosure for reasons of confidentiality or commercial sensitivity, and exempted information is excluded from Freedom of Information disclosure (section 12(1) and 12(6)). The Act therefore creates a public disclosure regime with an administrative carve‑out for protected commercial or personal information.\n\n- Risks and implementation issues: Because the Chief Executive and regulations have broad powers to refuse/cancel registrations, grant or revoke exemptions, and impose conditions, the Act allows discretionary decision‑making that will determine practical scope (sections 7, 9, 12, 19(5)). Regulations can incorporate codes of conduct and vary application by class, creating dependency on subordinate instruments for operational detail (section 19(3)–(5)). The combination of criminal sanctions, forfeiture and administrative cancellation raises implementation and legal‑risk considerations for businesses deciding how to price and document lobbying services (sections 5, 14).\n\nConcrete behaviour changes the Act creates\n\n- Paid lobbyists must register and disclose clients, contacts and subjects of lobbying (sections 5, 7, 8, 10).\n- Lobbying firms must change remuneration models away from outcome‑contingent success fees (section 14 and Schedule 1).\n- Former Ministers and certain public officials face time‑limited bans on undertaking lobbying activity in specified areas after leaving office (section 13).\n- The Chief Executive will make eligibility decisions, administer the public register, and exercise exemption and cancellation powers (sections 7, 9, 10, 12).\n\nKey text references: definition of lobbying (section 4); registration requirement and penalties (section 5); entitlement and suitability tests (section 6); application, fees and returns (sections 7 and 8); register and disclosure (section 10); disclosure exemptions and FOI carve‑out (section 12); post‑employment restrictions (section 13); prohibition on success fees and transitional treatment (section 14 and Schedule 1); administrative discretion, delegation and regulations (sections 16 and 19)."},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed — the legislative text was not retrievable. No comparison between original intent and current provisions is possible based on the content provided."},"complexity_factors":["Content was not retrievable — a 'Page Not Found' error was returned instead of legislative text, making accurate analysis impossible","Website migration (March 2026) appears to have broken existing hyperlinks to SA legislation","Cannot assess actual legislative complexity, cross-references, schedules, or regulatory frameworks without the text","General knowledge of lobbyist registration schemes suggests moderate complexity — definitions of 'lobbyist' vs exempt categories can be nuanced","Score is provisional and likely underestimates or overestimates true complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"## ⚠️ Content Unavailable\n\nThe actual text of South Australia's **Lobbyists Act 2015** could not be retrieved — the legislation website returned a **Page Not Found** error, likely due to a website migration that occurred around **24 March 2026**.\n\n### What we know about this law in general terms:\nThe *Lobbyists Act 2015* (SA) is South Australian legislation that **regulates professional lobbyists** — people paid to communicate with government ministers, MPs, or public servants on behalf of clients to influence government decisions. It typically:\n- Requires lobbyists to **register** on a public register\n- Sets rules about **who can lobby**, **how**, and **when**\n- Restricts former government officials from immediately becoming lobbyists (a \"cooling-off\" period)\n- Promotes **transparency** in how private interests seek to influence government\n\n**Who it affects:** Professional lobbyists, their clients (businesses, industry groups, NGOs), and government officials across South Australia.\n\n> ⚠️ **This summary is based on general knowledge of the Act, not the retrieved legislative text.** The actual provisions could not be verified. Please visit [legislation.sa.gov.au](https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au) directly and search for the Lobbyists Act 2015."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation appears consistent with its original stated purpose to 'regulate the lobbying of public officials'. The scope covers registration, transparency, cooling-off periods, and prohibition of success fees—all directly related to core lobbying regulation. No significant mission creep is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Moderate cross-referencing to the Public Sector Act 2009 for definitions of 'public sector agency' and 'public sector employee'","Multiple nested exceptions to the definition of lobbying (section 4(2)-(3)) including professional exemptions and designated organisation exemptions","Conditional logic in registration eligibility (section 6) distinguishing between natural persons and bodies corporate with different criminal history tests","Tiered cooling-off periods (section 13) with three different categories of former officials subject to different restrictions, plus a 'most stringent prevails' rule for overlapping categories","Exemption mechanism (section 12) with multiple discretionary grounds, time-limited operation, and interaction with Freedom of Information Act 1991","Forfeiture provisions (sections 5 and 14) with judicial discretion to modify or return forfeited amounts","Regulation-making powers (section 19) that allow incorporation of external codes of conduct by reference"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis is South Australia's **Lobbyists Act 2015**. It creates a system to regulate paid lobbying of government officials. The main goal is to make lobbying transparent and prevent corruption.\n\n**Key rules:**\n\n*   **Registration required:** Anyone who gets paid to lobby (communicate with government officials to influence decisions) must register with the government. Operating without registration is a serious crime (up to $150,000 fine for companies, $30,000 or 2 years jail for individuals).\n*   **Public register:** There's a public list of all registered lobbyists showing who they work for, who they've lobbied, and what about. Some sensitive commercial information can be kept private with approval.\n*   **Annual reporting:** Registered lobbyists must file yearly reports listing their clients, the officials they contacted, and the topics discussed.\n*   **Cooling-off periods:** Former Ministers can't lobby for 2 years after leaving office. Former senior staff and board members face 1-year restrictions on lobbying about matters they previously handled. Current board members can't lobby at all while serving.\n*   **Success fees banned:** Lobbyists can't be paid only if they win (contingency fees). This prevents lobbyists from having a financial incentive to use improper influence.\n*   **Who's exempt:** Lawyers doing normal legal work, accountants in prescribed circumstances, and employees of unions, charities, or professional associations lobbying on behalf of their own organisation (not third parties) don't need to register.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n*   **Professional lobbyists** and lobbying firms\n*   **Government officials** (Ministers, MPs, public servants, board members)\n*   **Clients** who hire lobbyists\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThe law tries to balance two things: allowing legitimate advocacy while preventing \"cash for access\" corruption. By forcing disclosure of who's paying whom to talk to which politician about what, voters and journalists can see potential conflicts of interest. The cooling-off periods stop the \"revolving door\" where officials immediately sell their government contacts to the highest bidder after leaving office."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/lobbyists-act-2015","history":"/api/acts/lobbyists-act-2015/history","analysis":"/api/acts/lobbyists-act-2015/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/lobbyists-act-2015/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/lobbyists-act-2015/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/lobbyists-act-2015/documents"}}