Information last reviewed at:
12 October 2007
Related Documents
Related Documents
Impact Assessment of all Regulatory Proposals
Impact Assessment Processes
Under Council of Australian Government (COAG) Regulatory Principles, proposals for new regulations must be justified in terms of a demonstrated need for change. All proposals are required to undergo a thorough assessment of the likely impacts of the changes on industry, government and the community as a whole. Regulation should be considered a last resort and net social and economic benefits must be demonstrated. These principles are supported in the ABCB's Inter-government Agreement.
The ABCB consults regularly with the Australian Government Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) to ensure that we meet COAG Principles. As part of our accountability mechanisms, we have developed an Impact Assessment Protocol in order to improve the transparency of ABCB's processes. The Protocol commences with a broad outline of good regulatory principles, then focuses on the ABCB's Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) and related processes. We have also developed several flowcharts detailing the regulatory 'gatekeeper' and consultation mechanisms involved with the BCA amendment process and the development of our RISs.
The Protocol also refers to the Preliminary Impact Assessment (PIA) process, an early-stage impact analysis of regulatory proposals. If a PIA finds substantial impacts, the ABCB may proceed with a full RIS. This documentation has been approved by the OBPR as being consistent with COAG Principles.
The OBPR has consistently recognised the ABCB as one of the agencies that not only meets, but exceeds, its RIS obligations. However, the ABCB seeks to continuously improve its impact assessment processes to address feedback from stakeholder groups and to ensure ongoing alignment with the COAG National Reform Agenda.