Commonwealth agencies that have responsibility for business regulation are required to publish a Regulatory Plan in each financial year. The Regulatory Plan deals with changes within an agency's area of responsibility and contains information about:

• Changes to business regulation which occurred in the previous financial year
• Activities planned for the current financial year which could lead to changes in business regulation.

What regulation does a Regulatory Plan cover?

A Regulatory Plan covers business regulation.  This includes primary legislation, subordinate legislation, quasi-regulation or treaties which directly affect business, have a significant indirect affect on business, or restrict competition.

Quasi-regulation refers to rules or arrangements where governments influence businesses to comply, but which do not form part of explicit government regulation.

A Regulatory Plan does not include information about the following:

• Regulations of a minor or machinery nature that do not substantially alter existing arrangements
• Regulations that involve consideration of specific government purchases
• Regulations of a state or self-governing territory that apply in a non-self governing territory
• Anticipated activity about which it would be inappropriate to publish information.

In addition, there may be regulatory activities undertaken during the next financial year which have not been included in the attached Regulatory Plan because these were not foreseen when the Plan was prepared at the start of the financial year.  Users should therefore not take the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Regulatory Plan as necessarily being a comprehensive source of information on all past or potential changes to business regulation.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Annual Regulatory Plan 2011/12