REGULATOR LEADERSHIP COHORT
COMMUNIQUÉ
5 MARCH 2025
The Regulator Leadership Cohort met on 5 March 2025.
Cohort Chair, Clare Savage, opened the meeting by welcoming new member Liz Hefren-Webb the recently appointed Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner. The cohort also welcomed Margaret Tregurtha, as the acting Director General of IP Australia.
Members discussed regulatory skills and capability, RegTech and legacy ICT systems, and AI to support regulators in delivering on their respective obligations and supporting the government’s broader regulatory reform agenda.
Professor Caron Beaten-Wells, Dean and CEO of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) presented insights on capability building for regulators noting the strong need for capability in leadership and management across the regulatory sector, and the approach to learning and development specific to regulators. The ANZSOG National Regulators Community of Practice has designed a professional regulator program to provide training to professionals new to regulation.
This framed a broader cohort discussion about regulatory workforce planning, skills and capability. Members reflected that many regulators come to regulation laterally and at mid-career points which is often a different career trajectory to other public service streams and professions. Developing a capability approach based on the core competencies common to regulators was discussed, with recognition that the role of regulating is different to other parts of public service. Chris Fechner, CEO of the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) discussed RegTech and legacy IT.
Chris explained the role the DTA undertakes to drive enterprise-wide digital and data transformation. Chris shared insights about the RegTech market and offerings, including from Australia, and the prevalence and challenges of legacy ICT systems.
Members discussed the challenges many regulators face with bespoke and legacy ICT systems with the added complexity that arises when trying to keep pace with a changing regulatory environment. Members reflected on the guidance DTA has provided their agencies in navigating platform and service improvements, with Chris offering further support to regulators.
Members agreed to proceed with a workshop on AI in the near future to better understand the opportunity AI presents in the regulatory environment.
The next Regulator Leadership Cohort meeting is proposed for mid-year to discuss information sharing for regulation, and trust and accountability.
Secretariat support is provided by the Risk, Claims and Regulatory Reform Division of the Department of Finance: APSRegulatoryReform@finance.gov.au.
