Consultation period: 3 July to 4 August 2025
We seek feedback to help regulators and policymakers use standards in Australian regulations. We want your views on:
- competition reform guidelines
- best practice handbook
- priority sectors for reform.
The documents will guide good regulatory practice around standards. They aim to:
- lower the cost of doing business by making regulation clear and easy to follow
- reduce unnecessary trade barriers to make more high‑quality, safe products available for Australians.
Competition reform guidelines
The guidelines aim to help address challenging policy problems. They form a starting blueprint for governments to apply National Competition Policy (NCP) reforms. They offer an evidence‑based solution to improve:
- competition
- productivity
- outcomes for Australians.
Best practice handbook
This guide gives policymakers tools to consider and use standards in regulation. It helps them adopt risk assessments and conformity assessment procedures. The handbook helps the federal government apply the guidelines. State and territory governments can use it for standards‑related reforms.
Context
Treasury and the Department of Finance are drafting the documents with other government agencies. The documents will support future reforms under the revitalised NCP.
Once finalised, governments will choose priority sectors for future reforms. Governments will work together to deliver reforms, aiming to maximise benefits to Australians.
Key documents
- Consultation paper [PDF 510 kB Consultation paper | DOCX 1.2 MB Consultation paper]
- Competition reform guidelines [PDF 239 kB Competition reform guidelines | DOCX 80 kB Competition reform guidelines]
- Best practice handbook [PDF 876 kB Best practice handbook | DOCX 365 kB Best practice handbook]
Responding
You can submit responses to this consultation up until 4 August 2025. Interested parties are invited to comment on this consultation.
While submissions may be lodged electronically or by post, electronic lodgement is preferred. For accessibility reasons, please submit responses sent via email in a Word or RTF format. An additional PDF version may also be submitted.
All information (including name and address details) contained in submissions will be made available to the public on the Treasury website unless you indicate that you would like all or part of your submission to remain in confidence. Automatically generated confidentiality statements in emails do not suffice for this purpose. Respondents who would like part of their submission to remain in confidence should provide this information marked as such in a separate attachment.
Legal requirements, such as those imposed by the Freedom of Information Act 1982, may affect the confidentiality of your submission.
View our submission guidelines for further information.
Response methods
Online (preferred method)
NationalCompetitionPolicy@treasury.gov.au
Post
Director
National Competition Policy Reforms
Treasury
Langton Cres
Parkes ACT 2600