Annual Review 2001, Regulations 2001

Other Matters of Interest

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In order to assist the Regulation Review Subcommittee with its work, the Subcommittee has prepared a series of Practice Notes.[72] These are designed to provide department and agency officers with additional guidance when preparing regulations. The Practice Notes deal with reoccurring issues which the Regulation Review Subcommittee has been presented with over the past 12 months. It would assist the Regulation Review Subcommittee in its work if department and agency officers could be guided by the procedures contained in the Practice Notes.

On 14 March 2000 the Victorian Parliament requested the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee to inquire into, consider and Report on the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994. As the Subordinate Legislation Act 1994 concerns regulations, the Regulation Review Subcommittee was given responsibility for conducting this Inquiry on behalf of the Committee. The Committee’s final report was tabled in Parliament in September 2002 and involves a comprehensive evaluation of the existing Victorian scrutiny and regulatory systems, an overview of regulation-making processes throughout Australia and an assessment of the regulatory approach taken in six jurisdictions within the United States. The Committee considers that its recommendations will, if adopted, greatly enhance the existing Victorian regulatory system.

The Regulation Review Subcommittee’s legal adviser attended Australia’s annual Administrative Law Conference held in Fremantle at the Notre Dame University in July this year. The theme for the conference was "Appraising the Performance of Regulatory Agencies". The conference focused on the regulatory activities of agencies set up by Parliaments and the impact of those activities on the community, organisations and corporations. Speakers at the Conference provided excellent insight into agency activities, the impact of those activities and options available to challenge agency conduct and decisions.