Published Impact Analyses

Regulation Impact Statement for Consultation – Australian Buildings Codes Board (ABCB)

On 02 March 2018, the Australian Buildings Codes Board (ABCB) released a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Fire safety in Class 2 and Class 3 residential buildings Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS). The RIS considers whether the National Construction Code (NCC) Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) Provisions need to be revised to require fire sprinkler systems in new multi-story Class 2 and 3 residential buildings above 3 storeys in height.

The Consultation RIS has been assessed by the OBPR and complies with the COAG requirements for COAG Consultation RISs.

Regulation Impact Statement for Consultation – The Australian Building Codes Board

On 2 March 2018, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) released a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) which examines options to facilitate efficient energy use in both summer and winter for some new residential buildings. These options include separate energy limits for heating and cooling loads under the current Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) compliance pathway as well as an education program aimed at builders and building designers.

The Consultation RIS has been assessed by the OBPR and complies with the COAG requirements for COAG Consultation RISs.

Regulation Impact Statement for Consultation – The Australian Building Codes Board

Regulation Impact Statement - Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities

Regulation Impact Statement – Australian Taxation Office

On 7 February 2018 the Government introduced the Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No. 1) Bill 2018 (the Bill) to Parliament.

The Bill requires purchasers of new residential premises and new subdivisions to remit GST to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at the time of settlement, rather than in their next Business Activity Statement (BAS) statement, which could be several months after settlement. This change addresses the risk that some businesses in the property development industry will fail to remit GST, either through intentionally dissolving a business to avoid remitting GST or through a business not sufficiently budgeting to meet GST obligations.

Post–implementation Review – Australian Accounting Standards Board

In June 2010 the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) issued AASB 1053 Application of Tiers of Australian Accounting Standards. This was intended to offer in Australian Accounting Standards a way of permitting most types of entities to reduce the cost of preparing General Purpose Financial Statements in accordance with Accounting Standards yet still provide adequate information for the users of the financial statements.

The AASB was required to prepare a Post-implementation Review (PIR) under the Government’s regulation impact assessment requirements because a compliant Regulation Impact Statement was not prepared before the decision to issue new standards was made. The AASB chose to address this requirement at the same time as undertaking its own routine post-implementation review of the standards.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority

On 31 January 2018, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority announced changes to vessel survey requirements. The changes align survey frequency with risk on an individual vessel basis, provide for greater flexibility to reduce the number of out-of-water surveys required, and allow surveys to be more easily aligned with other vessel maintenance activities.

The RIS indicates that the preferred option represents an estimated $97 million in quantified net benefits to the community as a whole over a 10-year period, as well as providing numerous unquantified benefits, including for marine safety.

The preferred option results in a reduction in compliance costs to business of $14.31 million per annum.

COAG Energy Council

On 24 November 2017, the COAG Energy Council agreed to changes to energy efficiency regulation for refrigerated display and storage cabinets.

The changes will increase Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) for commercial refrigerated display cabinets and refrigerated storage cabinets to harmonise with MEPS levels adopted by Europe in 2017. In addition, the changes will result in adopting international test standards, rather than a regionally specific Australian and New Zealand test standards, and provide consumers with accessible and comparable information on refrigerated commercial cabinet energy efficiency.

Decision Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Health

This Decision Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) is the final stage of a consultation process undertaken by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) to review the first edition of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

The NSQHS Standards are designed to protect the public from harm and to improve the quality of health care for consumers.

The second edition of the NSQHS Standards was endorsed by COAG Health Ministers in June 2017, and released in November 2017. The NSQHS Standards (second edition) will be implemented and assessed  from 1 January 2019.

In April 2017, the Government announced its decision to replace the 457 visa with a Temporary Skill Shortage visa for short and medium to long term skill shortages.

A  RIS was prepared by the then Department of Immigration and Border Protection in compliance with the Australian Government RIS requirements. However the level of analysis in the RIS used to inform decision makers was not commensurate with the potential impacts. For example, the longer term impact on the competitiveness of Australia’s labour market – while discussed – is not assessed in any detail, in particular the impact of the policy on Australia’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining highly skilled or specialised workers. As a result the OBPR’s final assessment is that the RIS is not best practice.

The Department estimated the proposal will reduce regulatory costs by $1.185 million. The OBPR agreed to this estimate.