A Coalition government would tie "red tape" reduction targets to senior public servants' pay, establish a deregulation unit within the prime minister's office and hand over most environmental regulation responsibilities to the states.

The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, announced the Coalition policy relating to productivity and regulation at KPMG's Sydney offices on Monday.

In the 28-page document, the Coalition sets a target to reduce "red and green" tape by $1bn a year and will set aside at least two parliamentary sitting days to repeal legislation associated with "counter-productive" regulation.

A deregulation unit would be set up within the prime minister's office to give ministers targets to reduce regulation within their units, with pay rises and bonuses for senior public servants being linked in part to the outcomes.

Examples in the document of regulation a Coalition government would get rid of include repealing the carbon tax and mining tax – policy already announced by the Coalition.

In a press conference, Abbott emphasised the proposal to create a single process for environmental approvals, abolishing the commonwealth level of approvals and leaving most of the environmental regulation to states.

"Business should not have to run the gauntlet twice," he said.

"Yes, we do expect high environmental standards, but you shouldn't have to run the gauntlet twice.

"Once you have demonstrated to one set of officials that you are going to meet high environmental standards, that should be enough."

The policy document lists examples of "excessive red and green tape" but does not specifically say it will repeal all of the regulations mentioned.

In the examples are childcare laws which will require each worker to have an official qualification from next year, and the newly established Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission which was described in the document as duplicating reporting obligations.

"If we can reduce the burdens on business, we make it easier for them to employ, we make it easier for them to pay the kind of wages that the Australian public are entitled to expect," Abbott said.

"That's our job, to make it easier for the businesses of Australia to get on with their business of producing wealth and producing employment for the Australian people."