Legislative Design and Review

Policy advice that supports the design and review of water legislation and rules so they are clear, implementable, and aligned with best-practice regulatory principles.

Ensuring water legislation and rules are fit for purpose

Water legislation needs to be robust, practical to implement, and flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions. Getting this right requires a strong understanding of legislative settings, policy intent and how government systems actually work.

I provide policy advice to support the development, review and improvement of water and natural resource management legislation and rules, ensuring regulatory approaches are fit for purpose and aligned with policy objectives.

Working with Colton Consulting

What I do

  • Review existing legislation and rules to identify policy gaps, inconsistencies and improvement opportunities.
  • Advise on regulatory options and policy mechanisms that will achieve intended outcomes.
  • Prepare drafting instructions, Cabinet materials and policy briefs that translate policy intent into legislative pathways.
  • Develop user-friendly guidance and instruments that help practitioners apply legislative requirements in practice.

When you need this

You need legislative design and review when:

  • Legislation no longer reflects policy intent or contemporary water management practice.
  • You need independent review of whether legislation is fit for purpose
  • You need clear policy foundations, drafting instructions and impact assessment for legislative amendments or regulatory reform,
  • Cabinet approval processes need supporting documentation
  • You’re implementing new policy and need appropriate regulatory mechanisms
  • Practitioners are struggling to understand, implement or comply overly complex, unclear or outdated rules.

What you get

  • Independent assessment of legislative and regulatory frameworks, grounded in evidence and best-practice principles.
  • Clear policy advice on options, directions and regulatory design, translating complex analysis into practical pathways.
  • Drafting instructions and Cabinet-ready materials that turn policy intent into implementable legislative change.
  • Guideline and procedure drafting under legislation, producing user-friendly tools that support practical implementation and compliance, and are accessible to non-technical stakeholders.
  • Plain-English summaries, visuals and engagement materials that build understanding and support effective consultation.
  • Engagement leadership and facilitation, including stakeholder dialogue on policy directions, options and impacts.
  • Implementation plans to structure complex reform efforts into manageable programmes with clear priorities, sequencing, and milestones. This includes identifying dependencies, risks, and critical path activities.
  • Reform programmes with clear priorities, sequencing and milestones that help you focus effort where it matters most. This includes identifying dependencies, risks, and critical path activities.

You get policy advice from someone who understands legislative settings and the practical realities of government decision-making

Relevant experience

Native Vegetation & Landscape SA Act reforms (South Australian Department for Environment and Water, 2023–24)

Provided policy advice, developed legislative options, drafted Cabinet materials and supported amendment processes for South Australian legislation changes.

Victorian Licensing Guidelines (Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action, 2024–25)

Provided technical support on policy and governance settings for Vietnam’s Law on Water Resources, advising on implementation and inclusion and equity considerations, and leading capacity-building and knowledge-exchange activities including an international study visit.

NRAR Water Enforcement Issues Analysis (Natural Resources Access Regulator, 2024)

Contributed to analysis of 29 legislative and enforcement issues under the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW) to help address regulatory loopholes and strengthen water law enforcement. Outlined the problem, justification, objectives and practical legislative options to support informed decision-making.

Landscape SA Reform Implementation (South Australian Department for Environment and Water, 2018–20)

Led multi-year review, diagnosing issues, analysing options and delivering an agreed, implementation-ready package of regulatory improvements.

South Australian Water Register Reform (South Australian Department for Environment and Water, 2016–18)

Led policy development, engagement and the drafting process for regulatory improvements to South Australia’s water register, and advised on implementation requirements including system and business needs.

Let's discuss your legislative challenge

Contact me to discuss how legislative review and design can support your water management objectives.

Yvette Colton
yvette@coltonconsulting.com.au
+61 411 302 977

Contact Colton Consulting