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In this episode of Beyond the Numbers with Grant Thornton, we welcome back AML/CTF experts Neil Jeans and Katherine Shamai. They unpack AUSTRAC’s starter kits, share practical tips for embedding compliance into business culture, and explain why it’s critical to start mapping out your designated services now.

The AUSTRAC AML/CTF Starter Programs provide a structured pathway to achieving AML/CTF compliance that will significantly reduce the effort and cost of AML/CTF compliance for entities required to meet AML/CTF obligations under Tranche 2.

As Australia prepares for the landmark Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) reforms – set to take effect in the coming months – businesses across sectors face a pivotal moment not just to comply with how to manage financial crime risk, but to transform themselves for the better. The real challenge lies in building a culture that embeds AML obligations into the DNA of an organisation.

How leadership teams can implement effective ML/TF risk management, ongoing AML/CTF compliance, and the successful definition and embedding of an organisation's AML/CTF compliance culture.

Grant Thornton is a leading specialist in AML/CTF risk management and can assist businesses by providing tailored AML/CTF risk management and compliance services

The AML Reforms introduce the concept of a 'reporting group'—a flexible model that allows both related and unrelated entities to manage and mitigate ML/TF risks under a single, comprehensive AML/CTF Program.

The introduction of Value Transfer Service obligations under Australia’s AML/CTF reforms significantly broadens the scope of compliance requirements, affecting a wide range of businesses and requiring new processes, technology, and training.

Australia’s AML/CTF reforms represent a fundamental shift from a prescriptive, compliance-based regime to a flexible, outcomes-focused framework – prioritising the effective prevention of money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing, rather than merely following prescriptive rules.

Australia has commenced reforming its Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) regime including the ‘Tranche 2’ reforms, which expand AML/CTF compliance to apply to additional professions including lawyers.

Australia has commenced reforming its Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF) regime including the ‘Tranche 2’ reforms, which expand AML/CTF compliance to apply to additional professions including real estate agents and conveyancers.

The final amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Rules, published on 30 August 2025, introduce a series of structural and operational changes following extensive consultation by AUSTRAC and industry feedback.

The AML/CTF Reforms require reporting entities to develop and maintain AML/CTF policies that achieve both ML/TF/PF risk mitigation and management as well as AML/CTF compliance.