DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL BUSINESS & INDUSTRY SYSTEMS (NBIS)

A new whole‑of‑economy department linking all business functions together

AI‑enabled • Leaner • Faster • More integrated • Future‑ready

 

OUR ROLE

The Department of National Business & Industry Systems (NBIS):

  • Unifies all business‑related functions across government

  • Integrates trade, industry, skills, digital, regulation, and innovation

  • Provides a single front door for Australian businesses

  • Strengthens national productivity and competitiveness

  • Ensures consistent, transparent, and efficient business policy

  • Reduces duplication across agencies

  • Supports sovereign capability and economic resilience

This department becomes the central nervous system for Australia’s business ecosystem.

WHY THIS DEPARTMENT IS NEEDED

Currently, business‑related responsibilities are scattered across:

  • Treasury

  • Industry

  • Austrade

  • Skills & Training

  • Digital Transformation Agency

  • ACCC

  • ASIC

  • Fair Work

  • Agriculture

  • Climate & Energy

This fragmentation causes:

  • duplicated programs

  • inconsistent regulation

  • slow decision‑making

  • poor data sharing

  • high administrative cost

  • confusion for businesses

NBIS solves this by linking everything together under one unified system.

 

OUR STRENGTHS

Economic & Business Strengths

  • Whole‑of‑economy oversight

  • Unified business policy and regulation

  • Stronger national competitiveness

  • Streamlined business support

AI‑Enhanced Strengths (New Model)

  • Automated regulatory compliance

  • AI‑driven industry forecasting

  • Predictive economic modelling

  • Real‑time business intelligence dashboards

  • Integrated national business data platform

.

OUR WEAKNESSES (PRE‑AI, PRE‑UNIFICATION)

  • Fragmented business functions

  • Slow regulatory processes

  • High administrative overhead

  • Conflicting policy directions

  • Limited cross‑agency coordination

OUR THREATS

External Threats

  • Global economic volatility

  • International competition

  • Supply chain disruptions

  • Technological disruption

Internal Threats

  • Political appointments influencing priorities

  • Legacy systems

  • High program duplication

  • Workforce shortages in specialist roles

OUR OPPORTUNITIES (AI‑ENABLED)

  • Automate business regulation and compliance

  • Deploy AI‑enabled industry forecasting

  • Reduce administrative overhead

  • Improve transparency and reporting

  • Strengthen independence through tamper‑proof systems

  • Reinvest savings into Australian innovation, skills, and sovereign capability

  • ANTI‑CAPTURE SAFEGUARDS

    (Ensuring no government can influence or redirect the department for political purposes.)

    1. AI‑Governed Policy Prioritisation

    Business programs and regulatory priorities determined by transparent algorithms — not political preference.

    2. Immutable Audit Trails

    All decisions, changes, and approvals automatically logged and publicly visible.

    3. Independent Appointment Panels

    Leadership selected by non‑political experts (industry, academia, civil society).

    4. Mandatory Publication of Ministerial Contacts

    All interactions with elected officials automatically logged and published.

    5. Conflict‑of‑Interest Rules

    No political memberships, donations, or campaign involvement for senior staff.

    6. Decentralised Data Architecture

    No single minister or department can override or alter core systems.

 

T

TILE 1 — BASELINE FUNDING (REDUCED)

$0.62B per year

(Reduced from $0.88B — 30% efficiency gain)

  • Reduced duplication

  • Lower administrative overhead

  • Reduced consultant reliance

  • AI replaces repetitive work

 

TILE 2 — PHASE 1 (Years 1–2)

$0.48B – $0.66B

Foundation: Unify & Stabilise

  • AI pilots for forecasting & compliance

  • Workflow automation

  • Legacy system consolidation

  • Independent governance board

  • Unified business data architecture

 

TILE 3 — PHASE 2 (Years 2–4)

$1.00B – $1.40B

Acceleration: Modernise & Automate

  • AI‑enabled business intelligence platform

  • Automated compliance tools

  • Digital business self‑service tools

  • Automated grants & approvals

  • Cyber‑resilience upgrades

 

TILE 4 — PHASE 3 (Years 4–6)

$0.80B – $1.10B

Expansion: Strengthen Capability

  • National business intelligence network

  • Real‑time industry dashboards

  • Workforce augmentation tools

  • Transparency & audit upgrades

 

TILE 5 — PHASE 4 (Years 6–10)

$2.20B – $2.80B

Future‑Ready: Transform & Protect

  • Fully automated regulatory cycles

  • Predictive economic modelling

  • AI‑enabled industry transformation planning

  • Integrated national business ecosystem

 

TILE 6 — PEOPLE & COMMUNITY

Integrity • Independence • Capability

  • Strict conflict‑of‑interest rules

  • No political memberships or donations

  • Mandatory publication of ministerial contacts

  • AI‑supported accessibility for all businesses

  • National digital business literacy uplift

 

TILE 7 — TOTAL INVESTMENT

6‑Year Total:

$2.28B – $3.16B

10‑Year Total:

$4.58B – $5.96B

Outcome: A lean, AI‑enabled, politically‑independent department that unifies all business functions and drives national economic transformation.

STRATEGIC ROADMAP — NBIS (AI‑ENABLED, REDUCED‑BUDGET)

 

PHASE 1 — FOUNDATION (Years 1–2)

Unify & Stabilise

  • Merge business‑related functions from multiple departments

  • Reduce duplicated staffing and programs

  • Deploy workflow automation

  • Begin AI pilots for industry forecasting and compliance automation

  • Build unified national business data architecture

  • Establish independent governance board

Outcome: Lower cost, unified direction, reduced political influence.

 

PHASE 2 — ACCELERATION (Years 2–4)

Modernise & Automate

  • Launch AI‑enabled business intelligence platform

  • Deploy automated compliance and regulatory tools

  • Introduce digital self‑service tools for businesses

  • Automate grants, approvals, and reporting

  • Expand cyber‑resilience

Outcome: Higher capacity with fewer resources.

 

PHASE 3 — EXPANSION (Years 4–6)

Grow National Capability

  • Whole‑of‑agency adoption of AI tools

  • National business intelligence network

  • Real‑time industry dashboards

  • Workforce augmentation tools

  • Enhanced transparency and public reporting

Outcome: Stronger sovereign economic capability.

 

PHASE 4 — FUTURE‑READY (Years 6–10)

Transform & Protect

  • Fully automated regulatory cycles

  • Predictive economic modelling

  • AI‑enabled industry transformation planning

  • Continuous system improvement

  • Integrated national business ecosystem

Outcome: A modern, resilient, future‑ready business system.

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