Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to thank all members who have contributed to this debate. The Excise and Customs Legislation Amendment (Streamlining Administration) Bill 2024 contains measures that will deliver significant deregulation benefits for businesses who engage in the manufacture, importation and distribution of fuel and alcohol. The excess regulation and administrative costs for these businesses will be reduced by these measures through making changes to licensing and fuel arrangements.

The fee and renewal requirements associated with licences for manufacturing or storing fuel and alcohol will be removed. Businesses will now be able to consolidate separate licences into a single licence and access simplified movement of these dutiable goods between licence places. The measures will make access to information easier and timelier for fuel and alcohol businesses by establishing a public register of businesses that hold an excise or customs warehouse licence for those goods.

For fuel producers, this bill will remove unnecessary administrative burdens by removing the requirement for onshore oil producers to hold a licence in certain circumstances. These changes support the government's strong commitment to deregulation, the aim of continuing to reduce administrative and compliance burdens for businesses. I commend this bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

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