Chemicals and Plastics Regulation

The Commission’s final report into chemicals and plastics regulation acknowledges that government intervention to manage risks associated with chemicals and plastics is warranted where benefits materially exceed costs. Chemicals regulations are generally grafted onto (differing) state and territory acts that deal with public health, workplace safety, transport safety, environment protection and national security. The Commission found that the current institutional and regulatory arrangements are broadly effective in managing the risks to health and safety, but are less effective in managing risks to the environment and national security. Efficiency could be enhanced by national uniformity in some regulatory areas; reducing costs and delays in obtaining regulatory approvals; and attaining economies of scale in regulatory administration