The Australian Government is exploring new ways to simplify regulations and reduce compliance burdens on businesses. Departments and regulators have put forward a wide range of practical ideas aimed at improving efficiency and boosting productivity.
On 4 July 2025, Treasurer Hon Jim Chalmers MP and Minister for Finance Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher invited 30 regulators and eight portfolio departments to submit ideas for simplifying regulatory processes and cutting unnecessary compliance burdens. This call for proposals generated over 400 reform opportunities, including around 150 measures that could be implemented immediately without requiring legislation or additional funding, highlighting practical ways to streamline government processes.
Department of Home Affairs – Suggested Reforms
In the area of migration and citizenship, the Department of Home Affairs has outlined several reform opportunities:
- Expansion of Pre-Application Ballots for Work and Holiday Visas: Extend the use of pre-application ballots across all Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa countries. This approach aims to manage oversubscription and streamline processing where barriers exist.
- Reform of the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) Levy: Develop a revised framework for the SAF that ensures more equitable charging and refund provisions. The new framework would ensure employers are only charged when they receive the benefit of the migrant working for them and would introduce refund provisions to enable employers to recoup some costs if the migrant changes employer.
- Improvement of Citizenship Application Processes: Develop a new citizenship by conferral application form to reduce the collection of irrelevant information and manual processing, thereby simplifying the application process.
These proposals are part of the government’s broader initiative to reduce red tape and support businesses.
Click here: Regulatory Reform Opportunities – Department of Finance