Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
On 24 February 2021 the Government introduced a series of reforms as part of a Bill for a new online safety Act.
Australians are increasingly exposed to harms online. A failure to improve Australia’s online safety framework would result in harm continuing being done to individuals, the community and the economy. The Government’s preferred option - a new online safety Act with new and improved schemes - provides the greatest level of protection for Australians from online harms. The measures in this option would have a relatively low regulatory impact, in contrast to the significant benefits that the measures would provide the community and the economy.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications prepared and certified a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS), which the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) assessed as compliant with the Australian Government RIS requirements and consistent with good practice.
The RIS estimates average annual regulatory costs of $6.1m.