As the Australian Government pushes for economic growth, the tech and telecoms sectors have called for reduced red tape and warned against new ex-ante regulation
The Australian Government’s productivity and growth agenda has encouraged debate about the need for increased regulatory efficiency
At the end of last year, the Australian Government asked the Productivity Commission to conduct inquiries into identifying priority reforms in line with the Government’s five pillar productivity growth agenda:
Creating a more dynamic and resilient economy;
Investing in cheaper, cleaner energy and the net zero transformation;
Harnessing data and digital technology;
Building a skilled and adaptable workforce; and
Delivering quality care more efficiently.
The Commission has gone further than these inquiries, recently welcoming input to an Economic Reform Roundtable. While this roundtable was primarily focused on productivity, economic resilience and budget sustainability, it was also informed by the Commission’s inquiries. Ahead of the roundtable, Dannielle Wood (Chair, Productivity Commission) was keen to set out her priorities, much of which centred around the need to increase efficiency in regulatory processes by cutting existing red tape. Wood later went on to criticise the “regulatory hairballs” that “have found their way into almost every corner” of the Australian economy.
Mobile operators are calling for increased regulatory efficiency, reduced spectrum licence fees and planning reforms that encourage investment and network deployment
The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA), which represents the interests of mobile operators, gave its input to the reform roundtable, highlighting three policy changes to enable the mobile sector to drive productivity and economic growth:
Cut regulatory inefficiency and boost productivity – more efficient regulation would provide a better investment environment and enable an increased realisation of productivity, noting that operators currently face the burden of compliance with over 500 pieces of legislation and regulation;
Reduce spectrum licence and renewal fees – Ahead of the need for the renewal of 80% of all Australian spectrum licences in the next several years, the ask is for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to reduce its proposed licence fee prices by 50%, arguing that this would allow operators to invest more into 5G infrastructure deployment, improving service for all consumers; and
Harmonise and streamline network deployment obligations across jurisdictions in the national interest – with infrastructure planning rules differing between federal, state and local governments, the argument is this has been a significant constraint on efficient network deployment, and that these rules should be harmonised across these jurisdictions and streamlined to encourage more efficient network deployments.
Amazon has warned against the implementation of new ex-ante regulation for digital services
On 5 August 2025, the Commission published its interim reports for each of the five pillars, highlighting the areas it believes are most in need of reform. Stakeholders were also able to submit consultation responses before the publication of these reports. Amazon’s response argues against recent proposals from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to introduce ex-ante digital platform regulation, akin to that of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Amazon contended that sweeping ex-ante regulation like the DMA is ineffective due to its “one-size-fits-all” approach to the broad range of existing digital services. The tech giant further criticised the DMA for how it has led to the removal of certain useful services from other large digital platforms, particularly referencing changes to Google’s search services which have ultimately become a burden on consumers. Amazon argued that these changes are beginning to hamper innovation and investment, warning the Commission and ACCC of moving forward with any such regulation.
