Section 51 of the National Transport Commission Act 2003 (NTC Act) requires Australia’s Infrastructure and Transport Ministers’ Meeting (ITMM) to review the NTC every six years from its establishment. This review must report on the operations of the NTC, the NTC Act, and the associated Inter-Governmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Road, Rail and Intermodal Transport (IGA), making recommendations about whether the NTC should continue and/or the NTC Act be repealed. The last six-yearly review was conducted in 2021, with the next review due in 2027.
2021 Review
The 2021 NTC Review, which is the third statutory review under the NTC Act, was provided to ITMM in May 2021. ITMM provided their response to the Review to First Ministers in September 2021. Terms of Reference for the 2021 NTC Review were endorsed by ITMM on 20 November 2020.
2015 Review
The 2015 Review was provided to the Transport and Infrastructure Council (now ITMM) in August 2015. The Council's response to the Review was noted by the Council of Australian Governments. The Terms of Reference for the 2015 review were endorsed by the Transport and Infrastructure Council on 7 November 2014.
2012 Review of Transport Bodies
The 2012 review of the NTC and other relevant transport bodies was formulated in response to the 2009 NTC Review. The Ministerial Council (now ITMM) recommended that a further review of the NTC and other relevant transport bodies be undertaken in 2012, due to the impending implementation of national heavy vehicle, rail safety and maritime safety regulators. The Review examined the role and functions of key transport bodies and was undertaken by the Transport and Infrastructure Senior Officials’ Committee. The final review report was agreed by the Ministerial Council at its May 2013 meeting.
2009 Review
The 2009 Review of the NTC was conducted on the six-year anniversary of the NTC Act and was reported in June 2009. The Ministerial Council’s response was endorsed by COAG on 7 December 2009.