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Access to monopoly infrastructure
Access regulation seeks to promote effective competition in markets that depend on using the services of infrastructure that cannot be economically duplicated.
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To promote the economically efficient operation of, use of and investment in the infrastructure by which services are provided, thereby promoting effective competition in upstream and downstream markets.
Latest updates
The Council Finalises Mutual Recognition Review
The National Competition Council has delivered its final report to support the review of Australia’s mutual recognition schemes for workers.
The Council was asked to consider how the schemes affect productivity, workforce flexibility and consumer choice, and identify practical pathways to remove unnecessary licensing barriers.
Overall, the Council found mutual recognition schemes are providing benefits to workers and businesses, but their effectiveness has been hindered by incomplete participation, limited information sharing between regulators, and a lack of broader regulatory alignment across jurisdictions.
The Council also found that, while careful assessment of costs is required, national licensing can deliver large benefits for labour mobility in some occupations by solving many of the practical implementation challenges of mutual recognition.
National licensing is not the most appropriate solution for every occupation. The strongest case exists where:
• the occupation has a large workforce or is economically significant
• workers commonly move for work or work across borders remotely
• the occupation involves significant risks that would benefit from nationally consistent standards
• the occupation is underpinned by nationally consistent training and/or internationally recognised standards
• tripartite support for a national scheme exists.
Engineering is an example of such an occupation. Electricians are another example we observed very strong support for national licensing from both employer groups and unions in the Electrical sector.
In many occupations, a staged approach may be preferable. This could begin with improvements to the mutual recognition schemes, including greater regulatory harmonisation, before progressing towards national licensing.
The Council identified practical opportunities to strengthen the schemes, including by improving regulatory consistency, creating new infrastructure to enable better data collection and information sharing, and strengthening governance and oversight to support coordination and ensure reforms are enduring.
The Council thanks all those who contributed to the Review through roundtable discussions, bilateral meetings and written submissions.
The Review is intended to inform future policy development to reduce unnecessary occupational licensing barriers and support a more seamless national labour market.
2026–27 Annual Workplan: Delivering Reform, Opportunity, and Growth
The Workplan sets out a forward-looking agenda to advance competition reform which seeks to spark national collaboration, deliver practical outcomes and unlock new opportunities for a more dynamic Australian economy.
NCC Review Underway – Mutual Recognition - Consultation paper released
The National Competition Council (the Council) is undertaking an independent evaluation to support the Review of Australia’s Mutual Recognition Schemes for Workers (the Review), overseen by the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR).
The Council’s findings are intended to support the removal of unnecessary barriers to a single national market for workers by examining the operation and effectiveness of existing mutual recognition arrangements. The Terms of Reference ask the Council to report on ‘practical pathways to remove all unnecessary licensing barriers to a single labour market’.
The Council has developed interim findings, informed by an initial round of stakeholder consultation in March and April 2026. Interim findings suggest that, while mutual recognition schemes are providing benefits in some occupations, there is scope to improve regulatory consistency and data collection across jurisdictions, remove occupational exemptions, provide clearer information to licensees and improve information sharing between regulators.
The Review is now moving into its next phase, with a Consultation Paper released on 5 May 2026 (https://consult.treasury.gov.au/c2026-763743). This paper builds on the initial round of consultation and outlines interim findings and further consultation questions to inform development of recommendations for the final report to be delivered in July 2026.
Read the consultation paper and share your views to help identify practical reforms that reduce unnecessary barriers to a single national market for workers. Questions related to the Review can be directed to NationalCompetitionPolicy@treasury.gov.au.
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