Australian Productivity Commission

Have your say | Growing demand for water from housing, industry and new sources such as data centres is putting pressure on water services delivery. How can governments improve coordination and planning to meet this challenge?
Read the update paper on our National Water Reform inquiry and make a comment or submission on our website to inform our recommendations to government: https://bit.ly/4vCFs3d

Out now | How can policy and regulation best support secure, resilient and sustainable water services?
This update paper of our National Water Reform inquiry sets out interim reform directions for Australia’s water services industry. Read the paper and share a comment or submission on our website to inform the final report to government: https://bit.ly/4vgTOGf
We will shortly release a second interim update that assesses jurisdiction’s progress towards meeting the outcomes and objectives of the 2004 National Water Initiative.

Share your feedback | What are the biggest barriers to starting and growing a business? How could government make it easier to close or change ownership of a business?

The PC has been asked to identify options for reducing barriers to business dynamism, with a view to promoting innovation, productivity growth and Australia’s international competitiveness.

To help inform our recommendations, we would like to hear your thoughts and experiences: https://bit.ly/4x1gb3W

Call for submissions - Reducing barriers to business dynamism The Productivity Commission is seeking views on barriers to business dynamism in Australia, including obstacles to starting, growing, transferring and closing businesses.

| We are looking for two Senior Data and Research Analysts to join our reporting team in the PC's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stream.

In these roles, you will contribute to work that informs policy and improves outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including reporting on governments’ progress towards their commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and developing and maintaining the Closing the Gap Information Repository.

Find out more and apply before Sun 28 June 2026:
Senior Data and Research Analyst (Affirmative measures): https://bit.ly/4esgYCu
Senior Data and Research Analyst (Identified position): https://bit.ly/4fJ8b1e

'The rules and the cumulative burden of regulation have made it harder and slower to do almost everything'

Last week, Deputy Chair Alex Robson delivered the keynote address at CPA Australia's CPA Week Conference 2026:

'Budgets are carefully probed page by page, line by line, because they matter. Regulation matters just as much and it’s time we treated it that way.
The framework is now in place. The next steps will involve implementation, sustained effort, and careful evaluation. And there is always more to do.'

Read more: https://bit.ly/4ek6DZ4

Productivity, regulation and reform Deputy Chair Alex Robson delivered the keynote address to the CPA Week Conference 2026 lunch in Perth.

Submissions closing soon | We are looking into practical regulatory changes that could boost new housing supply focusing on:

🏗️ Regulations that restrict the use of land for housing
These include zoning rules and rules like building height limits, maximum floor-space ratios, heritage protections, allocations for affordable and social housing, and neighbourhood character controls.

🧱 Regulations that make it more expensive to build housing
These include long and complex approval processes, inconsistent or restrictive rules around using prefabricated elements or developer charges for accessing infrastructure.

Read more and share your thoughts by Monday 15 June 2026: https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries-and-research/housing-supply/call/

Labour productivity fell by 0.6% in the March quarter and over the year to March has grown by only 0.3%.

"The accounting is straightforward: the value of goods and services we produce is increasing, but not by as much as hours worked. In aggregate, we are working harder and longer, but we are not working smarter." - Deputy Chair Dr Alex Robson

In the edition's feature article, we explore measured productivity in the electricity industry during the energy transition and what governments can do to drive a more efficient, lowest-cost shift to cleaner energy.

Read more: https://www.pc.gov.au/ongoing/productivity-insights/bulletins/quarterly-bulletin-june-2026

Measuring productivity | From higher incomes to more public services and lower costs for everyday goods, productivity growth is how economies become more prosperous.

is measured using:
🦺 Labour productivity = output per hour worked
🧮Multifactor productivity (MFP) = output relative to a combination of inputs, including labour and capital

Thanks to productivity growth, an Australian worker can now produce in one hour what took a worker a whole day in 1901.

Read more and subscribe to receive updates on the latest productivity numbers: https://www.pc.gov.au/what-is-productivity/

'As we get richer and more comfortable, we can afford to pay for more peace of mind through regulations. That’s led to positive outcomes over time - fewer deaths from workplace accidents and car crashes, and less lead in the atmosphere.
But this changing risk appetite manifests in greater expectations on governments to prevent and minimise harms of all kinds.'
PC Chair Danielle Wood writing about her recent essay for Inflection Points on the need to balance the impulse to regulate with policy-making rigour.
Read for free: https://bit.ly/4g6Ig3A

Why the red-tape hedge keeps growing back thicker Governments keep promising to cut red tape, and sometimes they do. But the far harder job is changing the incentives that make regulation the easy answer.