COVID-19 Emergency Response (Commercial Leases No 2) Regulations 2020.

The objectives of these Regulations are to implement temporary measures to apply to parties to certain commercial leases related to circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide for mechanisms to resolve disputes concerning those leases.
The Regulations, under Part 2 Section 7, establishes prohibitions and restrictions relating to commercial leases to protect a lessee affected by COVID–19 pandemics. They stipulate that- a lessor cannot take any action against the lessee for failure to pay rent, failure to pay outgoings or the business operating under the lease not being open for business during the hours specified in the lease; an act or omission of a lessee required under the laws of the State in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be taken not to amount to a breach of a commercial lease and will not constitute grounds for termination of the commercial lease or the taking of any prescribed action by the lessor against the lessee; rent payable must not increased. A commercial lease shall not include - (a) a lease under the Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act 1989; or (b) a lease under the Crown Land Management Act 2009.