The Business Council of Australia appears to be picking a fight with itself over the need to report gender figures.

Some members are pushing to cut reporting requirements, saying they waste time and money for businesses, while supporters say it is the best way to get the most from staff across all sectors.

Director of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Helen Conway, has slammed BCA chief Jennifer Westacott’s “bizarre” stance in the debate, labelling her criticism of the regime a “joke”.

Media reports have recently claimed the BCA supports the Abbott government’s effort to reduce reporting requirements as part of the ongoing quest to cut regulatory red tape.

“It is bizarre, because the [BCA's] members are coming out and saying they actually support the reporting,” Ms Conway said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The male champions for change have been coming out in support, [ANZ's] Mike Smith, [Treasury secretary] Martin Parkinson and [Macquarie Bank chairman] Kevin McCann are all very supportive,” she added.

Currently, companies with over 100 employees must provide the WGEA detailed reports about gender-based allocation of jobs.

Report says the federal government is looking at increasing the employee threshold to 1000, so that smaller firms do not need to bother. The requirements for the contents of the reports would be substantially reduced too.

The BCA supports the idea, with chief executive Jennifer Westacott saying recently that “the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 was always the wrong solution to the right problem, and the government’s proposed changes are very welcome”.

Bu the BCA also has a goal to ensure women have 50 per cent of the senior executive roles within its member firms in 10 years.

“I can't comment directly on government policy, but what I can tell you is that the value of the data we get is indisputable; indisputable, and for people to suggest it is too hard to fill in a couple of pages for a form is a joke and that is the BCA's position,” Ms Conway said.