Operating across state borders in Australia is a challenge, our country is a collection of states, not one country, when it comes to legislation and the greed of State governments that want to collect their tithe off everyone!
Australia is not so much a country as a series of states, each jealously protecting their 'power' and income. They pay scant lip service to the Australian Constitution, specifically S.92 about free trade between states.
They build walls around their state, and
refuse to accept a license, issued under the same conditions in another
state, nor even a criminal history clearance issued in another state.
Especially not when they earn fees from overcharging for such things. They insist on protectionist policies which restrict operation across state borders.
Governments insist on their pound of flesh,
their 'tax' for a licence to be issued to someone to try and earn money
in 'their' state. The fact that you may have one 'job' a month or less
in 'their' jurisdiction is of no consequence. The fact that it may cost
you more to jump through the hoops than you earn is of no consequence.
Taxing (sorry, fees, charges DEFINITELY denied they're taxes) business
is the ONLY consequence they are concerned with.
This has led to a current requirement to form
agreements with holders of master licenses (such as a CAPI, the former NSW requirement) in each
state who then charge their 'cut' before the work may be passed on to an
operative. Most States are moving to private investigation coming under
Consumer Affairs type structures. Costs are not reducing. The
requirement for multiple licenses is not reducing. This gives 'local' operators the advantage of lower costs, again breaching the constitution. Networks of investigators, such as ours, have to work within this framework.
Some states hand enforcement to the state
police who are more concerned about state law than the constitution.
Others use 'Fair Trading'; it has become obvious that operators in all
states now suffer as a result of matters heard in tribunals, not courts,
where your psychotic clients get a win, because they fight the truth
with untested lies.
We currently have the unfair situation where a business that operates in the middle of a state can cross a street, during an enquiry, and commit no offence. If the same individual, doing the same task, on the border, crosses the street they commit an offence. It's a fun world.
Our services include private investigator surveillance, factual investigation, or searching for a missing person, investigating a suspicion, verifying facts, and gathering evidence. We act lawfully. Our operators are licensed. We investigate for, report back to, the client. We are not required to report back to a government agency the outcome of our investigations.
This means that a business in a border area has
twice the expense, and loses twice the time, paying for the same
licenses and authorities to two state governments, an unfair penalty.
However, we all deal with it. Our operatives are dually licensed, as
required.
Process servers, and private investigators, are bound by State legislation in each State. We are compliant. Contact us.
Each state has continued to increase their
charges for licences, ignoring that they are paid money from the Goods
and Services Tax (GST) for provision of services. The 'user pays' system
has become another double dipping cash cow for government who charge
GST on the service provided, tax on the business then an 'extra' tax for
the licence to earn the taxable income.
It is worth noting that none of the Australian states have pursued the overseas companies that offer services, via the internet, for which Australian individuals and business must possess a licence. This permits the export of profits to Europe, or America, without Australian result. We are an Australia private investigator company, an Australian private investigation company.
