Frequently asked questions
What is the Regulatory burden measure?
The Regulatory burden measure is an IT-based tool developed by the Australian Government to calculate the direct compliance costs of regulatory proposals. It calculates costs faced by business, community organisations and individuals using an activity-based costing model.
What are compliance costs?
Compliance costs are the direct additional costs in time or money that business, community organisations or individuals face to meet government regulations. They include administrative and other compliance costs, for example equipment purchases and the development of new information technology and reporting systems.
When do I need to use the Regulatory burden measure?
The Regulatory burden measure (RBM) is an integral part of the Government’s Best Practice Regulation requirements. The regulatory burden imposed by a regulatory proposal must be quantified using the Regulatory burden measure. A regulatory burden and cost offset table must accompany the request for policy approval, whether accompanied by a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) or not.
If you're using the BCC as part of preparing policy proposal or need help with the BCC, contact your Deregulation Unit.
Where do I get information on compliance costs?
You can find out information from industry associations, government bodies (for example, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, or the Office of Economic and Statistical Research), and specialist sources such as the Fair work Online.
Talk with the various stakeholders to check on assessment costs and find out information that's not available anywhere else.
Important!You need to record where you found the information and the assumptions made. This information will be looked at when your proposal is being assessed.
Enter this information into the 'Supporting evidence' field in the Option form of the Regulatory burden measure.
What supporting evidence should I use?
The Regulatory burden measure lets you add evidence that supports your compliance cost estimates. Supporting evidence may include surveys, discussion papers, research reports and so on.
By including this information, you make sure your compliance cost estimates are transparent and reliable.
Important!Always reference your sources and make clear any assumptions that have been made either by you or by the sourced information.
What if I'm not sure about certain information?
The Regulatory burden measure lets you choose different levels of certainty for compliance cost information you provide. The level of certainty shows the accuratcy, reliability and relevance of your supporting evidence and/or assumptions.
Choosing 'High' shows the supporting evidence you provide is comprehensive and relevant to the information you’ve added. 'Low' shows the supporting evidence may not be accurate or available.