The Regulatory Reform Omnibus Bill 2025 modernises and streamlines Commonwealth regulation by consolidating amendments across multiple statutes to support a ‘tell us once’ digital service model, improve access to government services, reduce unnecessary administrative burden, and boost government efficiency and productivity.
The Bill amends or repeals provisions in over 20 Commonwealth Acts to deliver four core streams of reform:
Schedule 5 makes minor technical and drafting corrections to clarify social security, taxation and pension-loan provisions. The Bill supports seamless service delivery at nil net cost to the Budget.
Improving citizen experience and economic welfare. By eliminating obsolete requirements and enabling a ‘tell us once’ approach, the Bill reduces time and stress for nearly all Australians interacting with government services. For example, 980,000 people owed an estimated $270 million in unpaid Medicare benefits will automatically receive payments when their Centrelink bank details are shared across programs[1]. Removing repetitive data collection fosters social trust and supports productive engagement with the welfare system [Judgment].
Driving productivity through fit-for-purpose regulation. Streamlining digital identity for citizenship, healthcare identifiers and regulatory reporting reforms reduces compliance costs for businesses and agencies, freeing resources for innovation and frontline services. A modern, interoperable digital health infrastructure will better connect providers and recipients, improving clinical outcomes and population health planning [Judgment].
Strengthening democratic accountability. Publishing NBN rollout data online and delegating routine administrative decisions to expert agencies enhances transparency and responsiveness. By updating fuel security laws, the Bill also ensures the government can respond swiftly to shortages, safeguarding national and economic resilience.
Insufficient privacy safeguards. Expanding internal data sharing across Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support agencies and default-on listing in the Healthcare Provider Directory risks unintended disclosures or data breaches, undermining individuals’ control over personal data. The opt-out model shifts the burden onto providers who may not be aware or have the means to opt out effectively [Judgment].
Complexity and unintended consequences. Sweeping amendments across dozens of statutes create legal and administrative uncertainty. Regulators and service providers will need lengthy system overhauls, incurring transition costs that may outweigh projected efficiency gains. Without clear implementation timelines and funding, promised benefits may fail to materialise.
Risk of regulatory erosion. Removing or delegating long-standing safeguards (e.g. in private health insurance, fuel security obligations) could weaken oversight, enabling regulatory gaps or capture. Consolidation into omnibus legislation limits parliamentary scrutiny of each discrete change, risking unintended erosion of rights and safety protections.
2025-10-08
House of Representatives
Before House of Representatives
Unspecified
Finance
Consumer Protection, Competition Policy, Social Support / Welfare