Published Impact Analyses

On 26 May 2011 the Government introduced a bill into Parliament that, if passed, will impose financial reporting requirements on large operators of long day care centres. The intention is to enable closer scrutiny of the financial viability of operators that run more than 25 centres. The changes will also allow the Department to conduct an independent audit in cases where the financial monitoring raised viability concerns. The Regulation Impact Statement was prepared by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and was assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.

On 26 May 2011, ACMA announced planning principles for restacking digital television channels. Radio spectrum in Australia is managed by the Commonwealth Government through ACMA. Spectrum can be used for many activities including television and mobile internet. The decision to switch off analog television services has freed up significant amounts of spectrum which could be used to provide new services – the ‘digital dividend’. There are three key areas of work related to yielding the digital dividend. The first is completion of the switchover to digital television, which results in the cessation of analog television services. The second is the process of clearing digital television services from the identified digital dividend band. The third is the configuration and allocation of the cleared spectrum to new users.

On 27 May 2011, the members of the Select Council of Gambling Reform (consisting of Commonwealth, State and Territory Gambling Ministers) announced that all new gaming machines will be required to have pre-commitment functionality from a date to be agreed. Pre-commitment functionality allows gaming machine players to set a maximum expenditure limit over a selected period of time. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) best practice regulation requirements apply to decisions by ministerial councils or other bodies where there is a reasonable expectation of widespread compliance. Under the COAG requirements a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) is prepared for the consultation stage, and for the decision stage.

On 25 May 2011, the Minister for Resources and Energy released the Australian Government’s final response to the Report of the Montara Commission of Inquiry.

On 12 November 2010, the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference endorsed a set of National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and a Model National Accreditation Scheme and decided to apply them. Both the Standards and Accreditation Scheme were developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The Standards are an explicit statement of the level of care consumers should be able to expect from health services. The Model National Accreditation Scheme provides the process for accreditation of health services organisations and reporting of performance against the Standards.  The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care prepared a decision making RIS that was provided to the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference for their decision.  The RIS was assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.

On 27 May 2011, the ACMA announced that it intends to sell new spectrum licences in the 2.5 GHz band. The reallocation of this spectrum will help to address increasing demand for mobile broadband.   This is the first step in the implementation of the outcomes of the review of the 2.5 GHz band and is intended to ensure that the band is deployed for its highest value use. The ACMA also announced its intention to convert apparatus licences currently held by the free-to-air commercial television broadcasters and the ABC for electronic news gathering operations into spectrum licences in the mid-band gap of the 2.5 GHz band.

On 10 May 2011, the Treasurer announced changes to improve compliance with taxation obligations by contractors and sub-contractors in the building and construction industry.  The introduction of a reporting regime provides a framework for improving contractor compliance. Under the proposal, businesses in the building and construction industry will be required to report payments made to contractors in that industry to the Australian Taxation Office.

On 10 May 2011, the Government announced the implementation of the election commitment to strengthen the tax law to counter fraudulent phoenix activity.  Phoenix activity involves a company intentionally accumulating debts to improve cash flow or wealth and then liquidating to avoid paying the debt.  The business is then continued as another corporate entity, controlled by the same person or group and free of their previous debts and liabilities. With effect from 1 July 2011, the director penalty regime will be extended and the Australian Taxation Office will be given greater powers.  The Regulation Impact Statement was prepared by the Treasury and has been assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.

On 21 April 2011 the Government released draft regulations extending the Energy Efficiency Opportunities program to electricity generators. This program requires large users of energy to identify and publicly report on potential projects to improve their energy efficiency, and relates to the Cleaner Future for Power Stations election commitment. A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) was prepared for the Government’s decision to release these regulations. The RIS was assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.

On 11 May 2011, as part of the 2011-12 Budget, the Australian Government announced reforms to the Marriage Celebrants Program. The Marriage Celebrants program provides couples who do not wish to have a religious marriage ceremony with an alternative to a registry wedding. The primary objective of the reforms was to improve compliance and professionalism by marriage celebrants. The reforms included the imposition of a cost recovery fee on marriage celebrants to contribute to the administration of the program. Given the estimated size of the fee and the number of part-time marriage celebrants, the establishment of the cost recovery fee was considered to have more than a minor regulatory impact on the marriage celebrants’ industry and so required a Regulation Impact Statement.