Published Impact Analyses

Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Communications and Media Authority

On 2 December 2020, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced new rules that require telecommunications providers to detect, trace and block scam calls.

Scam activity on Australian telecommunications networks is increasingly sophisticated and hard to detect. According to Scamwatch, Australians lost over $634 million to scams in 2019, with phone calls remaining a preferred contact method of scammers.

Remaking of Sunsetting Instrument without significant amendments – Department of Health

On 31 March 2020, the Department of Health remade with minor amendments the Therapeutic Goods (Multi-Site Manufacturing Licences) Guidelines 2010, which were due to sunset on 1 April 2020. The newly made Therapeutic Goods (Guidelines for Multi-Site Licenses) Instrument 2020 will sunset on 1 April 2030.

The instrument provides for guidelines to set out the circumstances in which a licence, issued under Part 3-3 of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to manufacture therapeutic goods to which that Part applies (for example manufacturers of medicines and biologicals), may cover two or more manufacturing sites.

Independent Review – The Treasury

On 27 November 2020, the Government published the final report of the Review of the Tax Practitioners Board and the Government response to the review.

On 5 March 2019, the Government announced the independent review into the effectiveness of the Tax Practitioners Board and the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 to ensure that tax agent services are provided to the public in accordance with appropriate professional and ethical standards.

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 26 November 2020, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released the draft rule determination and draft rule titled National Electricity Amendment (Connection to Dedicated Connection Assets) Rule 2020. 

On 15 November 2020, Ministers from 15 countries signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a regional free trade agreement that complements Australia’s existing free trade agreements with Indo-Pacific countries.

The Partnership contains commitments covering trade in goods, trade in services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, and new rules for electronic commerce, intellectual property, government procurement, competition, and small and medium sized enterprises.

A Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) was prepared and certified by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and has been assessed as consistent with Best Practice by the OBPR.

The OBPR considers the RIS contains a degree of detail and depth of analysis that is commensurate with the likely impacts of the proposal.

Post–implementation Review – Department of the Treasury

On 28 April 2014, the then Treasurer, the Hon Joe Hockey MP, announced the signing of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between Australia and the United States regarding the United States’ Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

FATCA aims to prevent US tax evasion by detecting income and assets held by US taxpayers in financial institutions outside the US. The Australian Government’s signing of the IGA required Australian financial institutions to report details of accounts held by their US customers to the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from 1 July 2014.

The Department of the Treasury was required to prepare a Post-Implementation Review (PIR) under the Government’s Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) requirements because of the significant impacts of the proposal.

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 November 2020, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released the draft rule determination and rule titled National Electricity Amendment (Semi-Scheduled Generator Dispatch Obligations) Rule 2020.

The proposed rule seeks to address the issue of semi- scheduled generators curtailing generation in response to market prices without rebidding or waiting for an updated dispatch instruction from AEMO.

COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 November 2020, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released the final rule determination and rule titled National Electricity Amendment (Transparency of Unserved Energy Calculation) Rule 2020.

The final rule was issued through an expedited process that did not involve preparation of a draft determination and draft rule for consultation, rather, the AEMC determined the change was non-controversial and released a discussion paper to canvass public views.

COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Legislative and Governance Forum on Consumer Affairs (CAF)

On 6 November 2020, the Legislative and Governance Forum on Consumer Affairs (CAF) agreed to strengthen the existing unfair contract term protections in the Australian Consumer Law. Key reforms include:

Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications

On 28 October 2020, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, the Hon Michael McCormack MP, decided Australia should not accede to the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974, as amended by the 2002 Protocol (Athens Convention) at this time.