Small businesses, childcare providers, farmers and drug companies are set to benefit from cuts to red tape under a plan by the Morrison government.
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Ben Morton, the assistant minister to the prime minister, was last year given the task of releasing the "animal spirits" in the economy by finding ways to reduce regulation.
Mr Morton told a Business Council forum in Sydney on Friday the "stewardship approach" - where senior bureaucrats took CEO-style responsibility for ensuring red tape is fit-for-purpose and light touch - was bearing fruit.
"I want to get to the point where the Commonwealth public service leadership drive their own deregulation buses within their portfolios," he said.
"To remove regulation that is no longer necessary, streamline regulatory processes across jurisdictions, thereby eliminating duplication, and drive, where appropriate, the harmonisation of regulation."
He said farmers and businesses would benefit from streamlined agricultural levies laws, which would get priority in parliament.
Firms would save about $100 million in transaction costs by streamlining voluntary private sector action to support emissions reductions.
A new electronic database had the potential to save $2 million a year in red tape for medicines and medical devices businesses seeking to get their products to market.
Childcare providers who receive the childcare subsidy will only have to lodge one approval application, rather than one each to state and federal authorities.
And barriers will be removed to international students seeking to undertake courses such as first-aid and responsible service of alcohol.
Mr Morton also announced a new role within the prime minister's department to work with ministers and agencies on measuring, benchmarking and evaluating regulator performance.
The department would also lead a pilot project, with the Australian Public Service Commission and Agriculture department, to lift the performance of agricultural export regulator.
As well, funding will be provided in the federal budget to be delivered next Tuesday for extra work by the deregulation task force set up within the prime minister's department.
"Importantly, deregulation agendas must not rise and fall - they must remain embedded in government," Mr Morton said.
"It is like painting the harbour bridge - the work will never be completed, but it must never be paused."
Australian Associated Press
