It is estimated that Universities in Australia spend $280 million a year on regulatory compliance and reporting to Federal and State Governments, according to a submission by Universities Australia published recently.
In another report, from PhillipsKPA, it is estimated that data reporting costs universities as much as $30 for every $1,000 of funding and between $3,000 and $8,000 per grant.
The report recommends a central register and timetables of the different reporting requirements.
The Universities Australia submission goes further with the following recommendations for reducing red tape:
- Setup a new national university data centre managed by a single government department to administer all data collections from universities;
- Conduct a review of the regulatory burden on universities including duplication between jurisdictions, and implement the recommendations;
- Government department audit and report annually on regulations, including any compliance and reporting increases; and
- Set a national target for reducing regulations set by the government.
A copy of the Universities Australia submission can be found at: www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au
