Key Points:
Four key strategies would clear up the confusion in
Australian environmental regulation, says the Interim Report on the
National Review of Environmental Regulation.
The Interim
Report on the National Review of Environmental Regulation
– released on 19 March 2015 by the Australian Government on
behalf of Environment Ministers across the country – provides
a snapshot of current reforms across Australia on three key issues
(biodiversity, chemicals and waste) and recommends further work on
four strategic reforms based on existing initiatives in various
parts of the country (some of which are noted below).
Why the review?
According to the Interim Report, despite decades of focus on
regulatory reform, the consequences of Australia's complex and
inconsistent environmental regulations include confusion over
compliance requirements, duplication, delay, regulatory burdens
that are disproportionate to environmental outcomes, unnecessary
costs (estimated $500
