Regulation Impact Statement Updates

Oilcode

29th September 2016

Remaking of sunsetting instrument without amendments – Department of Industry, Innovation and Science

The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science is scheduled to remake the Competition and Consumer (Industry Codes – Oilcode) Regulation 2016 without significant amendments.

The review recommended that:

Terminal gate pricing arrangements be retained in their current form; The code be retained so as to offer continued contractual protection to all parties; and The dispute...

Statutory Definition of a Charity

Aust GovPost-implementation Reviews

19th September 2016

Post–implementation Review – The Treasury

On 23 August 2012 a bill was introduced into Parliament that provided a statutory definition of a charity. The definition came into effect in January 2014. The definition of a charity has most relevance in tax law, where charities have access to special tax arrangements. Previously, there was only a common law definition of a charity, which could add to the legal costs and time taken in being approved as a charity.

Prior to the introduction of...

Review of the model WHS Regulations for diving work

COAG

16th September 2016

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement – Safe Work Australia

On 22 August 2016, Safe Work Australia (SWA) released a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on the model Work Health and Safety Regulations for diving work.

The RIS estimates that between 9,000 and 10,000 workers in Australia perform diving work annually. Divers are at risk of a number of injuries and illnesses as diving work is undertaken in a non-respirable...

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

Aust Gov

16th September 2016

Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Environment and Energy

On 5 May 2016, the Australian Government decided to introduce a quota on the importation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from January 2018.

HFCs are the dominant gas used in refrigerators and air conditioners. The use of HFCs replaced hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which have largely been phased out due to HCFCs being an ozone depleting gas. While HFCs are not an ozone depleting gas they have a high global warming...

Superfast Broadband Declaration

Aust Gov

7th September 2016

Independent Review – Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

On 29 July 2016, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced its decision to regulate access to wholesale superfast broadband access services.

This will mean that non-NBN networks supplying broadband services with data rates normally more than 25 Mbps will have the price and non-price conditions for access by retailers determined by the ACCC.

The ACCC made this decision based on concerns...

Clearer labels for medicines

Aust Gov

19th August 2016

Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Health

On 9 August 2016, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), part of the Department of Health, announced new requirements for the presentation of information on medicine labels. The new requirements aim to make Australian medicine labels clearer and more consistent and consequently help to avoid medication errors.

The new medicine labelling standards, among other things, require greater prominence and consistent location of...

Child and Adult Public Dental Scheme

Aust Gov

4th August 2016

Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Health

On 5 May 2016 the Government introduced the Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2016 which proposes changes to create a national Child and Adult Public Dental Scheme. It replaces the means-tested Child Dental Benefits Scheme; a rebate scheme which covers children aged two to 17.

The new scheme will provide financial assistance for dental services to children as well as for adults on concession cards, to be provided through the states and...

Deregulation of the student visa programme and future directions for streamlined visa processing

Aust Gov

25th July 2016

Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Immigration and Border Protection

On 16 June 2015, the Australian Government announced the introduction of the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) to support Australia’s education services sector.

The changes under the SSVF include:

a reduction in the number of student visa subclasses from eight to two; and the introduction of a simplified single immigration risk framework for all international students.

The regulation came into...

Lupin as a Food Allergen

COAG

25th July 2016

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) – Food Standards Australia New Zealand

On 16 June 2016, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) released a consultation RIS for a proposal to regulate food containing lupin as a food allergen.

Lupin is an emerging food allergen of public health significance in Australia. Lupin belongs to the group of plants known as legumes and therefore contains proteins which are similar to those found in other legumes such as peanut and soy....

Review of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

COAG

25th July 2016

COAG Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

On 7 July 2016 the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) released a consultation RIS for a review of the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

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