Key points: 

• The Victorian Government is seeking input into the draft regulations under the Social Services Regulation Act 2001 (the Act). A copy of the draft regulations can be found here, with submissions due 16 July.
• This is the last major stage of this two-year reform plan to create this scheme. The regulations are a result of the enabling legislation passing in late 2021, and the Deparment of Families, Fairness and Housing establishing a taskforce to draft the supporting regulations in April 2022.
• Submissions can be made directly via this link. And a final information session being hosted by the DFFH on Monday 10 July (registrations available here).

The VHA has made previous representations to State Government that the new regulatory scheme minimises duplication by allowing mutual recognition exemeptions where possible.  

This has been recognised both in the draft regulations and in several sections of the Act, which permits mutual recognition exemptions for registration, notifications and compliance codes.

The principle of mutual recognition has been addressed primarily in the Act, with the draft regulations supporting this position. The VHA intends to submit to the Government to ensure that administrative burden is reduced as much as possible in the regulations.

If your service would like further information via a direct meeting, or you would like to put forward particular view to be raised in a VHA submission, please contact Juan Paolo Legaspi, General Manager Policy and Advocacy on juanpaolo.legaspi@vha.org.au