Published Impact Analyses

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Legislative and Governance Forum on Consumer Affairs

On 13 December 2019, the Treasury released for public consultation a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on Enhancements to Unfair Contract Term Protections.

This consultation RIS invites interested parties to provide feedback on options to enhance the unfair contract term protections for small business, consumers and insurance contracts. Reforms presented in the RIS are designed to address issues raised in the Review of Unfair Contract Term Protections for Small Business.

The Consultation RIS prepared by Treasury has been assessed by the Office of Best Practice Regulation as compliant with Council of Australian Governments’ Best Practice Regulation requirements.

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 December 2019, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released a draft rule determination and accompanying draft rule titled National Electricity Amendment (Mandatory Primary Frequency Response) Rule 2020.

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 December 2019, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released a draft rule determination and accompanying draft rule titled National Electricity Amendment (Victorian jurisdictional derogation – RERT contracting) Rule 2020.

This draft rule sets out a jurisdictional derogation to the National Electricity Rules (NER) to provide the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) with the flexibility to enter into multi-year contracts with providers of emergency reserves in Victoria. This will help address the short to medium term reliability challenges facing that state. The derogation is limited to the state of Victoria and will not be permanent.

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 December 2019, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released a draft rule determination and accompanying draft rule titled National Electricity Amendment (System restart services, standards and testing) Draft Rule 2020. The draft Rule aims to improve the provision and effectiveness of system restart ancillary services (SRAS).

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 December 2019, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released draft rules titled National Electricity Amendment (Introduction of metering coordinator planned interruptions) Draft Rule 2020 and National Energy Retail Amendment (Introduction of metering coordinator planned interruptions) Draft Rule 2020 and accompanying draft rule determination. The draft Rule will provide customers with shared fusing at their premises with greater certainty on when their electricity meter will be installed.

In addition, the draft rule:

COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 December 2019, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released the final rules titled National Electricity Amendment (Reducing customers' switching times) Rule 2019 and National Energy Retail Amendment (Reducing customers' switching times) Rule 2019 and accompanying final rule determination.

The final rule provides the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) with flexibility to improve their processes, allowing AEMO and industry to create and implement an improved customer transfer process.

The Commission considers these changes are in the long term interests of consumers because they:

COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 December 2019, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released the final rule determination and final rule titled National Electricity Amendment (Application of the Regional Reference Node Test to the Reliability and Emergency Reserve Trader) Rule 2019, to create transparency, predictability and consistency for the market, and remove as far as possible the need for Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to exercise discretion in determining how to apply the test.

The AEMC’s final rule:

COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Energy Market Commission

On 19 December 2019, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released the final rule determination and final rule titled National Electricity Amendment (Threshold for Participant Compensation Following Market Intervention) Rule 2019.

The final rule relates to the compensation framework which operates to ensure participants who have been directed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to provide services are not "out-of-pocket". This framework also compensates participants affected by the intervention in order to put them in the position that they would have been in but for the direction or other reliability and emergency reserve trader (RERT) activation.

COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Transport and Infrastructure Council

On 22 November 2019, the Transport and Infrastructure Council of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to develop the next stage of heavy vehicle road reform [PDF document], including the independent setting of heavy vehicle charges, for consultation and further approvals. This follows on from the November 2018 decision to develop a national service level standards framework for roads.

Independent Review – Department of the Treasury

On 19 September 2019, the Minister for Housing and Assistant Treasurer introduced the Currency (Restrictions on the Use of Cash) Bill 2019. The proposed legislation would implement a recommendation of the Final Report of the Black Economy Taskforce, which the Government announced it would adopt in its response to the Taskforce’s Final Report in the 2018-19 Budget. 

Under the proposed legislation, a cash payment limit of $10,000 will apply to transactions where one of the parties is involved for business reasons or for the purchase of real property.