Review of National Competition Policy arrangements

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Terms of reference, Contents, Key points, Overview, Recommendations for a national reform agenda

1 About the inquiry
1.1 Background to the National Competition Policy
1.2 Scope of the inquiry
1.3 The Commission’s approach
1.4 Guide to the report

2 Progress in implementing the NCP
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Progress in NCP implementation
2.3 Competition payments

3 Australia's recent economic performance and the role of the NCP
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Australia’s recent economic performance
3.3 Determinants of Australia’s productivity revival
3.4 Quantifying the economy-wide impacts of NCP
3.5 Conclusion

4 Prices, service quality and GBE performance
4.1 Price impacts of NCP
4.2 Has infrastructure service quality improved?
4.3 The financial performance of GBEs
4.4 Price and service quality impacts for other goods and services
4.5 Summing up

5 Social, regional and environmental impacts
5.1 Social welfare and equity considerations
5.2 Employment effects
5.3 Regional impacts of NCP
5.4 Environmental considerations
5.5 Summing up

6 Lessons from NCP
6.1 The underpinnings of NCP
6.2 Some lessons from the NCP experience

7 The importance of continuing reform
7.1 The significant challenges ahead
7.2 How will further reform help?
7.3 No change is not an option
7.4 Delineation of a future reform agenda

8 Further infrastructure reform
8.1 The priority infrastructure sectors
8.2 Energy
8.3 Water
8.4 Freight transport
8.5 Passenger transport
8.6 Communications

9 The legislation review program
9.1 The legislation review process
9.2 Better gate-keeping arrangements are also required
9.3 Some priority legislation reviews

10 Other aspects of the future competition framework and regulatory architecture
10.1 Some remaining trade practices issues
10.2 Other competition ‘framework’ issues
10.3 Governance arrangements
10.4 Oversight of monopoly service providers

11 The way ahead
11.1 Why reform of human services?
11.2 What scope for competition-related reform?
11.3 Competition-related reform and natural resources
11.4 Some key areas for national coordination
11.5 Labour markets and tax policy reform

12 The way ahead
12.1 Why further nationally coordinated reform?
12.2 What agenda emerges?
12.3 Some priorities within the agenda
12.4 What sort of institutional frameworks are required?

A Inquiry processes and consultation

B National Competition Policy — reforms, institutions and achievements

References