This submission responds to the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry on Data Centres, focusing on planning frameworks, governance, transparency and accountability. It argues for a whole‑of‑life public accountability framework that treats data centres as major infrastructure, and sets out 9 recommendations to strengthen regulatory oversight, environmental protection and public‑interest outcomes in NSW.

Several states have recently overhauled their planning legislation. This paper discusses flaws in heritage legislation and how they might be rectified. It finds that heritage decisions fail to consider the costs of heritage protections. As a result, too many unremarkable buildings are preserved, restricting housing density and exacerbating the housing crisis.

The report ranks Australia's' states and territories based on planning systems, payroll taxes, property taxes and charges, retail trading hours, workers’ compensation premiums, duties on insurance and licences and requirements to do business. It identifies good regulatory and tax practices across Australia, to highlight what is working well and encourage states and territories to learn...

This analysis refutes the claim that Victorian local councils approve 98% of housing permits. Its findings show that metropolitan Melbourne councils approve on average less than three-quarters of permits for new dwellings. The analysis confirms that council planning processes and decisions are a significant bottleneck in housing delivery. It proposes that consistent, metropolitan-wide planning rules...

This report makes the case for a sustained commitment to better regulation and harmonisation across Australia. It recommends a new seamless national economy agreement between the Federal Government and states and territories, identifying nine priority areas for reform and key steps to ensure success.