Is a RIS Required?
The OBPR is required to assess whether a proposal triggers the need to prepare a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS). To allow the OBPR to assess if a proposal requires a RIS, departments and agencies should contact the OBPR once the administrative decision is made that regulation may be necessary, but before a policy decision is made, and provide the following information:
- Name of the Agency / Department
- Name of the Proposal
- A description of the proposal detailing:
- the nature of the proposal
- the intent of the proposal
- whether the proposal is likely to impact on business or not-for-profit organisations,
either directly or indirectly - the nature of the impacts – whether the proposal restricts the activities of certain
businesses or whether it acts more indirectly, and - the size of the likely impacts– how many businesses will be affected and whether there
will be effects on the community more broadly.
At this stage, the information you provide to the OBPR does not need to be particularly detailed; it just needs to allow the OBPR officer to make an accurate assessment about the likely impacts of the proposal.
In general terms, the more the proposed regulation impacts on business operations, and the greater the number of businesses or not-for-profit organisations that will be affected, the more likely it is that a RIS will be required.
To assist you in providing this information to the OBPR, a preliminary assessment form is available below (it is not compulsory for you to use this form).
If your regulatory change is of a type that occurs on a regular basis and is minor or machinery in nature, the OBPR may be able to enter into a standing agreement - a ‘carve-out’ - to remove the need to contact the OBPR for preliminary assessment. You should also check the list of current carve-outs [
189 KB], as your regulation may already be covered.
Preliminary assessment form
Download form 'Is a RIS required?' Word 97-2003 document [
742KB]
Notify the OBPR of the proposed regulation
Send the above information to the OBPR or phone for an initial discussion of your proposal.
Contact for information on this page: OBPR contacts page