Now lawMoney & Tax Introduced in the House of Representatives, 02 Jul 2026

Cash transport companies are now regulated

Fewer people pay with cash. The armoured truck business that fills cash machines and banks is down to one big company. This new law lets the Reserve Bank and the competition watchdog control prices, set service levels and take over a failing cash company.

Official name: Cash Distribution Framework Bill 2026

Who it affects

• People who use cash: The law aims to keep cash machines full and cash easy to get, mostly in country areas and when card systems go down.
• Armoured truck companies: Any company the Reserve Bank names faces price checks, service standards and reporting rules. It could be taken over in a crisis.
• Banks, shops and cash machine owners: They get fairer and clearer terms when they buy cash services. They also get a way to settle fights if talks break down.
• Smaller cash carriers: They can ask to use a big company's depots and other sites on fair terms.

Less cash, one big carrier

Moving cash is the hidden work of handling notes and coins. Trucks pick cash up from the Reserve Bank, Australia's central bank. The cash is counted and stored in depots, which are secure storage sites. Then it is trucked to banks, shops and cash machines.

Cash use has dropped a lot. The Reserve Bank's 2025 survey found about 15 per cent of payments were in cash. About half of Australians used cash in a normal week. It found one in three Australians would struggle if cash became hard to get.

Less cash means less money for the armoured truck companies. In 2023 the two biggest, Armaguard and Prosegur, joined together. The competition and consumer watchdog allowed it. That watchdog checks that businesses compete and trade fairly. The joined company now has more than 90 per cent of the market.

In 2025 a group of big firms agreed to give Armaguard money to keep it going. They were the four big banks, Australia Post, Coles, Wesfarmers and Woolworths. Wesfarmers is a big retail company. The Australian Banking Association, the group for banks, says this came to $75.5 million. Armaguard made promises to the watchdog about prices and service. Those promises end in September 2026.

From 1 January 2026, many fuel and grocery shops must take cash in person. This covers payments up to $500 between 7am and 9pm. This law aims to make sure those shops can get cash at a fair cost. Treasurer Jim Chalmers brought it in. He is the minister in charge of the budget.

Companies that move cash

Part 2 lets the Reserve Bank name a company that plays a big role in moving cash. A named company must then follow the new rules.

The Reserve Bank looks at things like whether the company can sway the market. It also looks at whether its depots matter to a region or the nation.

The government says small local companies are unlikely to be named. It says the cost of the rules would usually be more than the gain.

Fair prices and terms

Part 3 lets the watchdog watch over two kinds of contracts. The first is when a named company sells cash services to a business, such as filling a bank's cash machines. The second is when it lets another cash carrier use its depots or other sites.

Named companies must list all these deals for the watchdog. They must hand over copies when asked, keep them, and put them in writing. They must bargain honestly. Every deal must include set rules on price and on settling fights.

They must also ask the watchdog to approve standard terms. These are the normal prices and conditions offered to everyone. If a company's terms are not good enough, the watchdog can set them.

The aim is prices that are fair, open and the same for everyone. The company must still earn enough to stay in business.

Say a small supermarket in a country town is quoted a much higher price for cash deliveries than a city store. The standard terms and the watchdog's checks are meant to stop unfair treatment like that.

Settling disputes

Part 4 sets up a way to settle fights when a named company and a customer cannot agree. An outside person hears both sides and makes a decision they must follow. This is called arbitration.

Both sides must turn up, and what is said must be kept secret. Not turning up can bring a fine of 300 fine units. Breaking the secrecy can bring 600 units. A fine unit is a set dollar amount.

Minimum service levels

Part 5 lets the watchdog set service standards. These can cover how often and how fast cash is delivered. They can also cover where services are offered, prices, and use of depots and other sites.

This is meant to stop country areas losing cash deliveries or cash machines. It is also meant to make sure shops get the cash they need in the till to open each day.

Breaking a service standard can cost a company 50,000 fine units or three times what it gained. The larger amount applies.

Planning for a crisis

Part 6 gives the Reserve Bank powers to spot trouble early. A named company must tell the Reserve Bank straight away in some cases. One is if it is likely to break a standard. Another is if it plans to cut back or stop key services. A third is if its money is at risk.

It must also tell the Reserve Bank before it changes how much money is put into the company, or changes how the company is set up. If it does not, that deal does not count.

The Reserve Bank can set standards for how the companies run. It can also set standards for how one could be closed down in a calm, orderly way. It can plan for a crisis and give orders.

Taking over a failing company

Part 7 lets the Reserve Bank act once a set trigger is met. Examples are a company that can no longer keep up key services, or one in serious money trouble.

The Reserve Bank can then appoint a manager who takes control of the company from its board. The board is the group of people who oversee a company. It can move the business or its shares to another company. Or it can give orders the company must follow.

The Reserve Bank's main goal is to keep key cash services running. Ignoring a Reserve Bank order can lead to large court fines or criminal charges.

Records, fines and reviews

Parts 8 to 10 let the watchdog make rules on keeping records. They let the Reserve Bank demand facts. The two agencies can share what they know.

Both can use the usual tools to make companies follow the rules. These include court fines, on-the-spot fines, written promises a court can make a company keep, and court orders.

Some decisions can be reviewed by a body that checks government decisions, like a court but less formal. The watchdog's decisions on standard terms cannot.

The Parliamentary Library works for all MPs and takes no side. It says this is common for this kind of rule, because speed matters.

Start date

The law started the day after it was signed. The Governor-General signs bills into law. The Governor-General is the King's representative in Australia.

It was brought into the House of Representatives on 2 July 2026. That is the house of Parliament where the government sits. The House made 23 government changes and passed it on 12 August 2026. The Senate passed it on 20 August 2026 with one change from the Greens, a political party. The House accepted that change the same day.

It was signed into law on 26 August 2026. It is now Act No. 68 of 2026. A partner law fixes up other Acts. It also gives the watchdog short-term powers while the new rules are set up.

How they voted

Its journey through Parliament

Official sources

• Bill page on aph.gov.au
• Text of the bill
• Explanatory memorandum
• Bills Digest

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