COAG Regulatory Reform Agenda

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Adelaide on 26 March 2008 focussed on health, water, regulatory reform and the broader productivity agenda.

COAG has agreed to an accelerated business regulation reform agenda across 27 areas of regulatory reform, to enhance productivity and workforce mobility by cutting the costs of regulation.

The 27 areas are listed in the COAG Communique and include:

· national harmonisation of occupational health and safety (OH&S) laws with model legislation to be developed and submitted to the Workplace Relations Ministers’ Council by September 2009;

· early action and progress in 2008 on a further 12 areas, including existing hotspots and new areas of reform, covering: environmental assessment and approvals bilaterals; payroll tax administration; trade licences; the Health Workforce Intergovernmental Agreement; national trade measurement; rail safety regulation reform; the consumer policy framework; product safety; trustee companies; mortgage credit and advice; margin lending; and, non-deposit taking institutions;

· significant progress to be made in accelerating the five remaining COAG hotspots - development assessment; building regulation; chemicals and plastics regulatory reform; Australian Business Number and business names registration; and Personal Property Securities reform;

· nine new areas to be added to COAG’s regulation work program, covering standard business reporting; food regulation; a national mine safety framework; electronic conveyancing; upstream petroleum (oil and gas) regulation; maritime safety; wine labelling; directors' liabilities; and financial service delivery; and

· COAG also agreed that the Working Group report back to COAG by the end of 2008 on new areas of competition reform including:

· appropriate models for future regulation of national markets such as for water trading, the energy market, consumer policy and regulation affecting national workforce mobility;

· unfinished National Competition Policy business; and

· other new competition reforms.

The productivity agenda focussed on reform of early childhood development, schooling and vocational education and training and enhancing productivity and workforce mobility in areas of shared Commonwealth and State responsibility.

COAG also agreed to the introduction of a national registration and accreditation system for health professionals.