- By the end of the 2027 financial year, the number of red tape enforcers – federal government employees engaged in regulatory roles – will exceed 110,000 people. This annual increase of more than 1,500 people from the 2026 financial year brings overall growth of red tape enforcers since the 2023 financial year to more than 19,000, or 21 per cent.
- The Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio has more than doubled in size in terms of headcount of red tape enforcers since this government came to office. This is the highest growth of any federal portfolio, with annual red tape staffing costs alone soon to reach over $1 billion.
- Annual staffing costs to employ red tape enforcers alone will be approximately $16 billion by the end of the 2027 financial year. This is an increase of $527 million (+3.3 per cent) from the 2026 financial year, and an increase of approximately $4.2 billion since the 2023 financial year (+34 per cent).
- The average growth in red tape enforcers across all federal portfolios was 21 per cent, with just two portfolios recording a decline between 2022-23 and 2026-27: the Attorney-General’s portfolio (-32 per cent) and the Social Services portfolio (-23 per cent). • By the end of 2026-27, the average staffing level across the federal government (excluding military and reserves) is forecast to reach 217,256. This means that just over half the federal government workforce (50.7 per cent) will be engaged in regulatory activity.
