Law Reform Omnibus Bill: From Adoption and Animal Control to Energy Safety, Housing and Land Titles
Regulatory Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2025
1st House
2nd House
Law
Effects of Bill:
This bill being passed means that:
the Adoption Act 1984 will be amended to remove barriers so adult adoptees and relatives can access adoption information, while protecting individuals at risk.
the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 will allow an Aboriginal agency’s principal officer to act under delegated authority for non-Aboriginal children in the same class, improving service flexibility.
the Domestic Animals Act 1994 will restore council officers’ ability to issue fines for seized dogs or cats and require owners of dangerous dogs to notify councils about movements or deaths.
in the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021, the list of offences eligible for civil penalty orders will be updated to match current environmental laws.
the Environment Protection Act 2017 will be amended to streamline permissions surrender and revocation, clarify liability for littering, and modify governing board operations.
the Electricity Industry Act 2000 will be updated to speed up rate-setting for small-scale renewable electricity purchases and remove certain redundant reporting requirements.
the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 will give regulators six years to bring certain civil penalty proceedings (previously unclear).
the Housing Act 1983 will no longer require registered housing agencies to include full bank account details in the housing register, simplifying privacy handling.
the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 and its 2023 amendment will align cancellation powers and safeguard confidential information in work plans.
the Service Victoria Act 2018 will be updated to allow Service Victoria to impose and collect fees for delivering services and products.
the Subdivision Act 1988 will be amended to allow the setting of payable fees in line with Victoria’s “Pricing for Value” guidelines—providing flexibility beyond merely covering administrative costs.
the Transfer of Land Act 1958 will be updated so that:
Old paper-based rules are removed, because property dealings are now electronic.
Fees can be set using “value for money” principles, not just covering admin costs.
People lose their fee if a property document is withdrawn or rejected, instead of getting a partial refund.
The land titles office can set broader requirements for property paperwork, including using supporting documents from other agencies.
Rules around land assurance contributions (a safety fund for title errors) are clarified.
the Water Act 1989 will be improved by: Granting the Minister authority to specify a submission deadline for the Victorian Environmental Water Holder’s corporate plan, giving operational flexibility. and Allowing water corporations to serve notices of special board meetings electronically instead of via paper.
the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability will be allowed to do paid work outside the job—with the Minister’s approval.
a matching update will be made to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996 to support the adoption record changes.
the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 will be changed to allow the main person in charge at an Aboriginal agency to carry on with child protection work for non-Indigenous children in the same case, when authorized by the Secretary.
the Circular Economy Act 2021 will add new types of offences—like violating risk or contingency plans—and those offences may carry civil penalties.
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