A Method for Measuring Excessive Environmental Regulatory Burden in the Australian Rail Industry

For the Australian rail industry, environmental regulation is a regulatory hotspot causing suboptimal rail operations and business performance. Attempts to measure the cost of regulatory burden are few, more so given the conceptual and practical challenges. This article employs the prism of environmental regulation pertaining to the Australian rail industry to recap the concept of regulatory burden and evaluate possible measurement tools for costing regulatory burden. Existing models of regulatory cost measurement are adapted and applied to priority areas of dysfunctional environmental regulation across Australia. By drawing on results from a pilot study, the suitability of the methodology for quantifying an industry’s regulatory burden is assessed. The article should be of interest to managers and regulators striving for more equitable and efficient regulatory approaches.