Commonwealth legislation in force
By administering department
| Department | Acts | Instruments | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts | 463 | 10,436 | 10,899 |
| Department of Home Affairs | 451 | 6,984 | 7,435 |
| Department of the Treasury | 1,158 | 1,975 | 3,133 |
| Department of Veterans' Affairs | 105 | 915 | 1,020 |
| Attorney-General's Department | 529 | 426 | 955 |
| Department of Health, Disability and Ageing | 349 | 597 | 946 |
| Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | 210 | 567 | 777 |
| Department of Finance | 294 | 450 | 744 |
| Department of Employment and Workplace Relations | 142 | 363 | 505 |
| Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | 214 | 276 | 490 |
| Department of Education | 183 | 262 | 445 |
| Department of Social Services | 224 | 211 | 435 |
| Department of Industry, Science and Resources | 142 | 232 | 374 |
| Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | 95 | 173 | 268 |
| Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | 157 | 109 | 266 |
| Department of Defence | 85 | 128 | 213 |
| Department of Agriculture | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unassigned (no department recorded) | 54 | 2 | 56 |
Every day: what was made, what was cut, and the net result.
What this is
Cut The Red Tape is an independent, non-partisan tracker of Australian legislation. It counts the laws in force and records the changes each day: what was made, what was repealed, and the net result.
We're starting with the Commonwealth because it publishes good open data. The states and territories come next. The aim is simple: to make the size of the rulebook visible, so anyone can see whether it's growing or shrinking.
We don't take a view on whether any particular law is good or bad. We just count.
How we count
- Principal Acts, not amending Acts
- Most Acts passed by Parliament only change other Acts. Once their changes take effect they are usually repealed automatically. We count the principal Acts that actually hold the law, so the number isn't inflated by paperwork.
- Legislative instruments
- Regulations, rules and determinations are made by ministers and agencies under Acts. There are far more of these than Acts, and we count them separately.
- Sunsetting
- Most Commonwealth instruments expire after about 10 years unless they are remade. When an old instrument is replaced by a new one, we show it as remade rather than as new red tape.
- Count isn't everything
- A two-page Act and a 5,000-page Act each count as one. We plan to add page counts so size is visible too.
Roadmap
- Phase 1: Commonwealth. A daily count of Acts and instruments in force, a list of the day's changes, and a history chart.
- Phase 2: More detail. Page counts, a breakdown by government department, and a daily update on X.
- Phase 3: States and territories. NSW and Queensland first, then the rest, with a side-by-side comparison.
Follow along
Contact and social links are coming soon. In the meantime, check back here.
Disclaimer
Cut The Red Tape is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Australian Government, any state or territory government, or any government body. It is a private, independent project. Figures are drawn from public legislation registers and may contain errors. For the authoritative text of any law, use the official register.
Legislation data from the Federal Register of Legislation, Office of Parliamentary Counsel, used under a Creative Commons Attribution licence.