Queensland Regulatory Simplification Plan

The Queensland Government’s Smart Regulation Reform Agenda is focused on putting in place a 'smart' regulatory environment with a particular focus on productivity, innovation and competitiveness, thereby making Queensland more attractive to both individual and business investment. One of the key action commitments from the Queensland Government is to reduce the stock of regulation, improve the quality of new and existing regulation, and improve the business–government interface.

The Regulatory Simplification Plan

The Queensland Government has committed to the Queensland Regulatory Simplification Plan 2009–13 with a target of reducing the administrative and compliance costs of regulation by $150 million per year by the end of 2012–13. Departments have developed their own regulatory simplification plans which outline projects and initiatives to streamline administrative processes and reduce unnecessary legislation. The implementation of our Regulatory Simplification Plan is closely aligned with the commitments made by the Queensland Government under The Queensland Compact: Towards a Fairer Queensland (the Compact). The Compact is a partnership agreement between the Queensland Government and the Non-profit Community Services Sector.

The Queensland Compact

The Compact was developed to build strong working relationships to achieve the best outcomes possible for all Queenslanders. The Compact includes a specific commitment by the Queensland Government to actively reduce administrative duplication, compliance costs and unnecessarily prescriptive funding agreements, and to recognise that organisations may have multiple funding streams. The Queensland Government’s commitments under the Queensland Regulatory Simplification Plan are to reduce the compliance and regulatory burden to save time and money for business including NGOs, the community and government agencies to invest in pursuits that promote productivity, facilitate innovation and increase sustainability.

Priorities for 2012-13

The regulatory simplification plans are continuously updated to reflect new measures to further reduce compliance costs. The areas of focus for our updated Regulatory Simplification Plan will be:

Review of legislative requirements

To Progress the One Funding System for Better Services Bill 2011- if passed by the Queensland Parliament the department will prioritise the implementation of the legislation together.(estimated cost reductions 3.5million per annum for organisations funded by the Queensland government)
To review the restrictive practices regime under the Disability Services Act 2006

Review of administrative process improvements:

To advance the refinement of the department’s Common Service Agreement with funded service providers if Parliament passes the One funding System for Better Services Bill 2011.
To advance the implementation of output funding for organisations funded by the department.
To implement the Human Services Quality Framework as the single framework to replace six different sets of quality standards the department currently administers
To streamline the department’s processes for issuing licenses to those that provide care services under the Child Protection Act 1999.
To develop and implement a single framework for assessing a person’s ongoing needs, entitlements and the associated level of subsidy available for social housing.
To develop and implement an online application tool to be used by tenants making applications under the National Rental Affordability Scheme.
To continue the implementation of the service review framework for registered housing providers.
To continue the implementing of the Growing Stronger program to deliver an improved system that supports providers of specialist disability services.

Comment on the department's Regulatory Simplification Plan

We are seeking your input to inform future directions and further development of regulatory reform initiatives to ensure they deliver significant and tangible benefits to business including non government organisations, the community and government.

The department's updated Regulatory Simplification Plan is provided for public comment.