You're probably right Pace in terms of the cultural need to over-regulate...the difference is that Australia is far, far more efficient at enacting new regs/laws and far more efficient at policing them...and sadly in general the Australian public support and defend this approach...and it is intellectually difficult to counter any of the reasoning for regulation....
However there is something to be said for the ponderous system of government here in the UK which provides a natural barrier to knee-jerk regulations....and definitely something to be said for the vigorous opposition to any unnecessary regulation in the US....