Industry players in Australia have said that they believe that the industrial reforms and cutting of the red tape would be among the key priority areas for the next federal government, regardless of which political party forms the government.

A survey conducted by Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) said that industrial relations reform, cutting red tape and regulatory burdens and implementing tax reform will be among the top priorities for the new government in the country. The survey included responses from 330 businesses across the manufacturing, services and construction sectors in Australia.

Australian businesses said that Industrial relations reforms were the highest priority for them with a fourth saying it was their biggest concern. About 31.3 per cent of Manufacturing businesses said that industrial relations reforms are their greatest priority in the country.

Ai Group chief executive, Innes Willox said, "It's not at all surprising that IR reform is the key business policy concern for the next government. As we have been advocating since the Fair Work Act's introduction and in the subsequent reviews of the Act, changes are needed in a number of areas to provide greater flexibility to employers and to rebalance the current excessive weight given to Union interests."

It is believed that the entry for unions to workplaces and the ability of unions to interfere with greenfield agreements for new projects are identified as the biggest concerns.