Balanced Regulation
Regulation in Australia is recognised as inconsistent, complex and costly, causing businesses to avoid investment. Companies seeking to invest here comment that while other economies roll out the red carpet, Australia rolls out the red tape. A balance needs to be restored.
Chemistry Australia has long advocated for minimum effective regulation that safeguards the community and environment while attracting and protecting investment, enabling Australia to be globally competitive.
The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated that Australia’s complex web of regulation across nine different jurisdictions hampered our ability to respond to the crisis across many fronts. At the same time, some regulatory agencies and governments rose to the challenge and provided regulatory flexibility to address the crisis, while others hesitated.
The National Cabinet mechanism established to respond to COVID-19 shows what can be done when all governments work together.
The emerging trend toward adopting zero-risk by regulators has significant implications for business and the ongoing viability of operations across many industry sectors.
Immediate
- A full regulatory impact assessment (RIA) of the proposed changes to Workplace Exposure Limits.
Medium-term
- Continued deployment of the National Cabinet framework to address critical areas for regulatory reform and harmonisation to reduce red-tape across all jurisdiction to support competitiveness and job creation; and strengthen sovereign capability while providing appropriate safeguards for the community and environment;
- All future regulatory impact assessments (RIA) to include a critical evaluation the potential of impacts of proposed regulations on Australia’s ability to respond in a time of crisis;
- The appropriate application of risk management principles in developing regulation and setting standards, including recognising the implications of zero risk regulatory standards;
- True national consistent regulation for workplace health and safety, poison scheduling, dangerous goods transportation, and precursor chemicals by replacing current model law approaches with applied law schemes;
- Establishment of a national dangerous goods regulator and full alignment of Australia’s DG transport, handling, and storage regulations with international rules to improve supply-chain flexibility;
- Reform of major hazard facilities regulation to establish a single national regulator and regulatory scheme;
- Nationally consistent management of hazardous waste;
- Australia to take the lead on industrial chemicals management to promote an international network of trusted regulators to facilitate mutual recognition of chemical assessments.
