Department of Agriculture
On 17 April 2015, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture announced the Government’s decision to enforce a permanent ban on vessels more than 130 metres in length undertaking fishing related activities in Commonwealth waters. The Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) identified the problem as the potential adverse impacts and uncertainty associated with the operation of these vessels on the marine environment. The RIS concluded that a permanent ban would produce the most favourable outcome, in part because it would avoid the potential for serious or irreversible damage to the marine environment. The RIS was prepared and certified by the Department of Agriculture. It was assessed as compliant with the Government’s RIS requirements by the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR). However, the OBPR also assessed the RIS was not consistent with best practice because it did not provide sufficient evidence and clarity on the extent of the problem and the analysis of the preferred option. The measure does not result in changes to compliance costs, which has been agreed with the OBPR.