A quick guide to Australian discrimination laws
Understand federal, state and territory discrimination laws in Australia. A quick reference guide to your rights and obligations under anti-discrimination
Summary
A quick guide to Australia's Federal, State and Territory discrimination laws.
About the guidelines
There are federal, state and territory laws in Australia to protect people from discrimination and harassment.
In addition to the federal legislation, each state and territory in Australia has equal opportunity and anti-discrimination agencies, with statutory responsibilities.
Federal and state/territory overlap
Commonwealth laws and the state/territory laws generally overlap.
However, the laws apply in different ways and employers must comply with all legislation.
Federal laws
The following laws operate at a federal level and the Australian Human Rights Commission has statutory responsibilities under them:
- Age Discrimination Act 2004
- Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
- Disability Discrimination Act 1992
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975
- Sex Discrimination Act 1984
State and territory laws
The following laws operate at a state and territory level, with state and territory equal opportunity and anti-discrimination agencies having statutory responsibilities under them:
- Australian Capital Territory – Discrimination Act 1991
- New South Wales – Anti-Discrimination Act 1977
- Northern Territory – Anti-Discrimination Act 1992
- Queensland – Anti-Discrimination Act 1991
- South Australia – Equal Opportunity Act 1984
- Tasmania – Anti-Discrimination Act 1998
- Victoria – Equal Opportunity Act 2010
- Western Australia – Equal Opportunity Act 1984
Exemptions and exceptions
Employers also need to check the exemptions and exceptions in Commonwealth and state or territory legislation.
An exemption or exception under one Act does not mean employers are exempt under another Act.
