Annual Review of Regulatory Burdens on Business: Social and Economic Infrastructure Services

The Productivity Commission's latest report, Annual Review of Regulatory Burdens on Business: Social and Economic Infrastructure Services Sector – identifies ways to reduce the regulatory burdens on businesses in aged care, health, child care, education, information media and telecommunications, energy and transport. The Commission found that much of the regulation in the sector has the desirable objective of managing risk and ensuring service quality. But it can have the unintended consequence of reducing businesses’ flexibility in responding to consumer and user requirements, as well as adding a cost burden to their operation. Inconsistency of regulations across jurisdictions in the transport, education and energy sectors remains also a continuing concern, despite governments’ agreements for reform. There needs to be a movement beyond these high level agreements to substantially reduce the regulatory burden faced by businesses, according to the Productivity Commission.