769 NSW LICENCES UNDER REVIEW

Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello has today welcomed the recommendations of an independent report, which is for the first time, putting all of the state’s 769 licences under the microscope, to prevent superfluous red tape.  

The NSW Government today announced that it will adopt all of the recommendations of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) Report, Reforming Licensing in NSW, which is now publically available.

The IPART report reviewed state government licences – including registrations, permits, approvals, accreditations and renewals – that account for $2.8 billion of the government’s annual revenue.

“Overly onerous licensing restrictions result in unnecessary regulatory costs that may deter businesses from investing in NSW, and that is why the government commissioned IPART to conduct a root and branch review of all licence categories across the state to ensure they are fit for purpose and responsive to trends in technology and digital government,” Mr Dominello said.

“As part of the report’s findings, the government will review and reform the top 40 licences, based on volume issued and revenue raised, including registration of heavy vehicles, recreational fishing fees and home building licences. Those that cannot demonstrate a strong public policy rationale will be removed”.

Government agencies have also committed to applying new guidelines and frameworks recommended by IPART when developing or reviewing regulation and licences, to ensure they are efficient and remove burdensome red tape for business.

Where there is no statutory requirement to review licensing regulation, licences will be reviewed every 10 years.