COAG continues regulatory reform

At its meeting on 29 November 2008 COAG agreed, amongst other things, to continue regulatory reform towards a "seamless national economy".

According to the COAG Communique, focus areas were:

• planning and zoning policies and processes from a competition perspective as recommended in July by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s inquiry into grocery prices.
• greater coordination and oversight in chemicals and plastics regulation,
• To progress food regulation reforms, COAG agreed to examine reforms to the voting arrangements of the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council. COAG also agreed to consider options to improve national consistency in the monitoring and enforcement of food standards and options to improve food labelling law and policy in early 2009.
• COAG agreed that a national electronic conveyancing system would be implemented.
• COAG also agreed to increased harmonisation in relation to directors' liability.