COAG has released two report cards on the implementation of its deregulation priorities and competition reforms under the National Partnership Agreement to Deliver a Seamless National Economy.

 

The report card on deregulation priorities addressed progress  27 areas of reform including Occupational Health and Safety reform which commenced on 1 January this year in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, the Northern Territory and the Commonwealth. Reform of OHS will commence in Tasmania on 1 January next year, and legislation is currently before the Legislative Assembly in South Australia. Victoria has not agreed to the reform in its current state, and Western Australia’s agreement is subject to finalisation of the mine safety component of the regulations, expected to be completed by December 2012, and to the conduct of a State-specific analysis of the potential costs and benefits from implementing the reform.

 

Streamlining of environmental assessment and approval processes has been completed through bilateral assessment agreements under the EPBC Act. Payroll tax reform is also operational with uniform provisions in all jurisdictions.

 

Another area of reform is establishing a national occupational licensing system for tradespeople. All jurisdictions are working towards finalising consultation Regulation Impact Statements, to enable stakeholders to comment on the options for detailed licensing schemes for each of the four first tranche occupations.The Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) for electrical occupations, under the National Occupational Licensing Scheme reform, was released for consultation last week and  the three remaining RISs are about to be released for consultation. COAG agreed that, given the complexity of the reform, this reform will now commence from 2013.  

 

Other areas of reform which are now operational include:

 

  • Health Professional Registration and Accreditation
  • Trade Measurement
  • Rail Safety
  • Consumer Policy Framework
  • Product Safety
  • National Regulation of Trustee Corporations
  • Phase One National Consumer Credit Regulatory Regime
  • Food regulation
  • Standard Business Reporting
  • Wine Labelling
  • Registering Business Names

 

Areas which are in progress include:

  • Development Assessment
  • National Construction Code
  • Chemicals and plastics regulation
  • Personal Property Securities
  • National Mine Safety Framework
  • E-conveyancing
  • Oil and Gas Regulation
  • Maritime Safety
  • Directors’ Liability- to ensure the operation of directors’ liability is applied in a nationally consistent and principle-based manner in future legislation, COAG agreed to a set of Principles and Guidelines. This reform is still under consideration by the Queensland Government.
  • Phase Two Consumer Credit reforms

 

More information is here

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