MEMBER SERVICES
Policy
Our members have received powerful benefits from the ARA’s policy wins over the past 6 months, including a fair and reasonable increase to the national minimum wage, and we continue our efforts to encourage deregulation of retail trading hours across Australia and call for national consistency on the treatment of retail leases for small businesses, within a framework that appropriately balances the rights of tenants and landlords.
The ARA’s policy and advocacy focus in the first half of 2022 has been on the following priorities:
- Supporting small business as the cost of doing business increases
- Tackling the Labour and skills shortage
- Building supply chain resilience
- Creating inclusive and equitable workplaces
- Sustainability – the circular economy and transitioning to net-zero
This advocacy has been enabled by regular engagement with government our submissions to both regulators and governments listed below.
Our Policy and Advocacy area was strengthened through Covid-19 as a result of increased member engagement and access to key data from our members and partners.
Following the federal election this year, we are now entering a period of strategic outreach with governments to enable our sector to make a sustainable, inclusive recovery around core member priorities and emerging areas of impact.
The ARA aims to consult with members in all submissions and parliamentary committee appearances to integrate member experiences into correspondence and testimony. If you would like to have your say as an ARA member, please send us an email to policy@retail.org.au
To subscribe to our regular industry communications, please register here.

POLICY SUBMISSIONS
Stay up to date on our latest policy publications.
Our policy team is working hard to shape debate for retailers.
2023
- Pre-Budget Submission to Treasury – 27.01.23
- ACCC re: Armaguard and Prosegur merger – 20.01.23
- ACCC – Lithium-ion battery safety Feb 2023
- Green Industries South Australia re SUP Regulations 28.2.23
- Treasury – Strategic Payments Plan Consultation Feb 2023
- Treasury – Climate-related financial disclosures 17.02.23
- Treasury – Digital Platforms Inquiry 24.02.23
- Workforce Australia Employment Services 28.02.23
- Perception and Status of VET 02.03.23
- TGA – Interim Decision on Proposal to amend Poisons Standard (Paracetamol) 03.03,23
- Migration Inquiry – Pathway to Nation Building 16.03.23
- Closing the Gender Pay Gap Bill 03.03.23
- National Battery Strategy 17.03.23
- Attorney-General’s Department – Privacy Act Review Report 31.03.23
- Fair Work Commission – Annual Wage Review 2022-23 31.03.23
- Economic Dynamism, Competition and Business Formation 14.04.23
- Australia’s Cybersecurity Strategy 2023-2030 15.04.23
- Fair Work Commission – Annual Wage Review Reply 28.04.23
- Treasury – Multinational Tax Integrity 28.04.23
- Treasury – Country by Country Tax Reporting 28.04.23
- Modernisation of Australia Post 05.05.23
- Queensland Vaping Inquiry 05.05.23
- Impact of severe weather on Australia’s road networks 02.06.23
2022
- ARA Submission to Treasury -Regulation of Buy Now, Pay Later
- Plastics Pollution in Australia’s Oceans and Waterways
- Food Security in Australia – Parliamentary Inquiry
- Corporate Insolvency Inquiry
- Review of NSW Retail Leases Act
- ARA Submission to AFIA on BNPL Code
- ACT Plastics Bans Tranche 3
- ACT Circular Economy Strategy
- Terms of Reference for Employment White Paper
- Review of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act
- Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill 2022
- ARA Submission to Treasury re Global Agreement on Corporate Taxation Nov 2022
- Fair Work (Domestic and Family Violence Leave Bill )2022
- Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Respect at Work) Bill 2022
- To TGA re Poisons Standard (Paracetamol) Proposed Amendments (ACMS Nov 2022)
- ACCC – Bunk Bed Safety Standards (Oct 2022)
- ACCC – Infant Sleep Products and Inclined Non-Sleep Products (Sept 2022)
- Tax Intregrity and Transparency (Sept 2022)
- QLD Public Health Bill (Sept 2022)
- ARA Pre-Budget Submission (Sept 2022)
- Jobs and Skills Summit DEWR Sept 2022
- PSUP Act 2021 Regulatory Framework 02.08.2022
- VIC Container Deposit Scheme RIS 24.06.2022
- NSW Small Business Strategy 20.06.2022
- NSW Public Health (Tobacco) Regulation 2022 16.06.2022
- ACCC – Toppling Furniture 16.06.2022
- QLD Trading (Allowable Hours) Bill 13.06.2022
- ARA Reply Submission – Annual Wage Review 08.06.2022
- Responsiveness of Regulators 23.05.2022
- NSW Floods Inquiry 20.05.2022
- Annual Wage Review 04.2022
- ARA Pre-budget Submission 2022-23
- Product Safety Standards 01.2022
- Working Draft of the Property Law Bill
- Reform of Australia’s Electronic Surveillance Framework Discussion Paper
- Regulatory Framework for the Australian Domestic Organics Market
- ARA Submission -Improving the Effectiveness of the Consumer Guarantee and Supplier Indemnification Provisions Under the Australian Consumer Law
- Establishment of WA shipping and supply chain taskforce
- Tasmanian Retail Leases Bill 2022
- Proposed changes to the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Scheme
- Reply Submission – Annual Wage Review 2021-2
- Food Security – 21.12.23
2021
- ARA Submission – Annual Wage Review 2020-21
- ARA Submission – Treasury Review of Payments Regulation
- ARA Submission- Annual Wage Review 2020-21
- ARA Submission – Inquiry into Mobile Payment and Digital Wallet Services
- ARA Submission – AusPost Inquiry
- ARA Submission – ACCC review of proposed BPAY-eftpos-NPPA consolidation
- ARA Submission – Congestion Levy_Infrastructure Victoria
- ARA Submission – NSW Parliamentary Inquiry_Plastics
- ARA Submission – Job Security – 31 March 2021
- ARA Submission – Fair Work Amendment Bill 2020 (5 February 2021)
- ARA Letter – QLD Trading Hours Review (211013)
- ARA Submission – FED Regional Banking Taskforce
- ARA Submission – WGEA Strategic Review (21118)
Essential resources
- Mandatory Leasing Code of Conduct
- Guide to Mandatory Leasing Code of Conduct
- ARA gift card regulation guidelines (NSW)
- ARA gift card regulation guidelines (SA)
- ARA Explainer: Modern slavery reporting requirement
- Bag check guidelines (NSW)
- ARA guidelines for excluding a person from a retail premises
- ARA and Bailey ladder guidelines
- ARA chain of responsibility guidelines
- Industry Code for goods containing button batteries
- ARA video surveillance guidelines
- ACL Refunds and Returns Poster
- Franchising Code of Conduct
- Casual Mall Licensing Code of Practice
- Food and Grocery Code of Conduct
- Unit Pricing Code
- The National Packaging Covenant
- Environmental Claims in Advertising and Marketing Code