Seamless (Australian) National Economy!
What about Australian Retailing?
Recommended COAG retail sector deregulation, competition and regulation reform priorities.

The RETAiL Alert Group has written to the relevant Commonwealth government Minister being the Hon Lindsay Tanner and the Hon Craig Emerson advising that the National Partnership Agreement to Deliver a Seamless National Economy via COAG is to be commended but lacking in focus on the Australian retail sector – one of largest, important employing sectors in the Australian economy.

· It is recognised within the community and the retail sector in general that there are structural competition and regulation problems within the Australian retail sector – the result of years of neglect by political parties of all persuasions – the COAG Seamless National Economy Agreement is that perfect vehicle to undertake required Australian retail sector competition, de-regulation and long overdue retail sector reforms.

The RETAiL Alert Group is looking to add specific Australian retail sector competition, de-regulation and reforms to the list as defined in the email / fax as follows;

· Harmonised Retail Lease Four Pillars Legislation Reform.

· Harmonised Retail Trading Hours and Awards.

· National Retail Lease Register.

· Harmonised Retail Space Planning and Zoning Regulation

· Harmonised standards for the Retail Sector Supply Chain including RFID delivered by the NBN (National Broadband Network).

We understand that the Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the States and Territories is to;

Deliver agreed COAG deregulation and competition priorities.

Improve processes for regulation making and review.

Outcomes

The Agreement will contribute to the following outcomes:

a) Creating a seamless national economy, reducing costs incurred by business in complying with unnecessary and inconsistent regulation across jurisdictions.

b) Enhancing Australia’s longer-term growth, improving workforce participation and overall labour mobility.

c) Expanding Australia’s productive capacity over the medium-term through competition reform, enabling stronger economic growth.

d) The agreement between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories is to facilitate the implementation and reward the delivery of reforms that assist in the creation of a Seamless National Economy.

e) The Seamless National Economy is to be oversighted by the Business Regulation and Competition Working Group (BRCWG), charged with reducing the costs of regulation and enhancing productivity and workforce mobility in areas of shared Commonwealth, State and Territory responsibility.

f) The parties being the Commonwealth and the States and Territories commit to reduce the level of unnecessary regulation and inconsistent regulation across jurisdictions.

The COAG reform agenda is intended to deliver more consistent regulation across jurisdictions and address unnecessary or poorly designed regulation, to reduce excessive compliance costs on business, restrictions on competition and distortions in the allocation of resources in the economy.

They have also committed to reduce the level of unnecessary regulation and inconsistent regulation across jurisdictions, deliver agreed COAG deregulation and competition priorities and improve processes for regulation making and review.

The Agreement will contribute to the following outcomes:

Create a seamless national economy, reducing costs incurred by business in complying with unnecessary and inconsistent regulation across jurisdictions;

Enhance Australia’s longer-term growth, improving workforce participation and overall labour mobility.

Expand Australia’s productive capacity over the medium-term through competition reform, enabling stronger economic growth.

The Implementation Plan comprises three streams:

The 27 deregulation priorities agreed by COAG in March 2008;

The eight priority areas for competition reform agreed by COAG in July 2008, comprising:

Five new priority areas: review of Australia’s anti-dumping and countervailing system; review of parallel importation of books; rationalisation of occupational licences; further national transport policy reform; and further reforms to

With regard to infrastructure access, the implementation of reforms agreed through previous COAG processes, and endorsed by the BRCWG, in the three areas of energy, transport and infrastructure.

To realise the objectives and commitments in this Agreement, each Party has specific roles and responsibilities, as outlined below.

Role of the Commonwealth

The Commonwealth will have responsibility for a national regulatory system in the areas of:

(a) Trade measurement;

(b) Regulation of trustee companies;

(c) Regulation of mortgage broking, margin lending, non-deposit taking institutions and the remaining areas of consumer credit;

(d) Registering business names;

(e) Personal property securities; and

The Commonwealth will have primary responsibility, in co-operation with States and Territories, for implementing competition reform in the two priority areas of anti-dumping and countervailing system and parallel importation of books.

The Commonwealth and States and Territories will have shared responsibility for implementing competition reform in the remaining six priority areas.

Role of the States and Territories

The States and Territories will have responsibility to work together, and for many specific reforms to work jointly with the Commonwealth, to implement a coordinated national

Approach in areas of:

(a) Uniform occupational health and safety laws;

(b) Environmental assessment and approvals;

(d) Electronic conveyancing;

(e) Licensing of trades people;

(f) Consumer policy framework;

(g) Product safety regulation;

(h) Health workforce;

(i) Rail safety regulation;

(j) Development assessment;

(k) A new National Construction Code;

(l) Chemicals and plastics regulation;

(m) Food regulation;

(n) Mine safety;

(o) Oil and gas regulation;

(p) Maritime safety;

(q) Wine labelling; and

(r) Directors’ liability.

In conclusion:

The National Partnership Agreement to Deliver a Seamless National Economy via COAG is to be commended but as noted is lacking in focus on the Australian retail sector – one of largest sectors in the Australian economy.

· There is recognition within the community and the retail sector in general that there are structural competition and regulation problems within the Australian retail sector – the result of years of neglect by political parties of all persuasions – the COAG Seamless National Economy Agreement is that perfect combined Commonwealth, States and Territories vehicle to undertake long overdue Australian retail sector competition, de-regulation and reforms.

The RETAiL Alert Group with interested retail sector associations will be looking to add specific Australian retail sector competition, de-regulation and reforms to the list as defined as follows;

· Harmonised Retail Lease Four Pillars Legislation Reform.

· Harmonised Retail Trading Hours and Awards.

· National Retail Lease Register.

· Harmonised Retail Space Planning and Zoning Regulation

· Harmonised standards for the Retail Sector Supply Chain including RFID delivered by the NBN (National Broadband Network).

The RETAiL Alert Group welcomes retail sector input and support on our recommendations.

This is your opportunity to make a real structural difference to the Australian retail sector.

To provide retail sector input and support email Seamless National Retail Sector Economy.

Tony Standley
Principal
The RETAiL Alert Group (Australia)
Mobile +61 (0)41 924 0497
e-mail info@adsass.com.au
Fax +61 (0)2 9987 0633
Website http://www.retailalert.com.au

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