Driver licensing

Under Australia's federated system, transport responsibilities are distributed between the Commonwealth Government and state and territory governments.

The responsibility for the regulation and enforcement of road use, including light vehicle driver licensing, rests with the state and territory governments.

Australian licence holders seeking recognition of their Australian licence in foreign countries should contact the Australian Embassy or High Commission in those countries for further information.

Australian Dangerous Goods Code

The purpose of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG Code) is to provide consistent technical requirements for the land transport of dangerous goods across Australia. The ADG Code should be read in conjunction with relevant state or territory law. The ADG Code adopts the structure, format, definitions and concepts of the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations while retaining some Australian specific provisions. It also incorporates additional provisions for the transport of infectious substances.

General Licence Reports Summary 2014–2015

Category of TradeCargo DescriptionAggregated VolumeVolume/Amount Type
Container N/A 49 MT
Dry Bulk Cement 1,492,386 MT
Dry Bulk Clinker 52,430 MT
Dry Bulk Coal 677,188

Competent authorities for dangerous goods

Responsibility for the transport of dangerous goods sits,

  • For air transport, with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA);
  • For sea transport, with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)
  • In relation to road and rail transport, individual state and territory governments.

Contact details of these organisations are below. Relevant legislative arrangements are available.

International harmonisation of dangerous goods transport requirements

Australia has been closely involved in international efforts to harmonise the classification and labelling requirements for all dangerous goods. This reduces the conformance burden for industries engaged in the use and transport of dangerous goods and facilitates seamless compliance for importers and exporters.

Transport of dangerous goods by road and rail legislation status

Each state and territory implements the updated Australian Dangerous Goods Code and associated updates to their dangerous goods transport regulations separately. Each state and territory's dangerous goods transport act and regulations are at the links below. Businesses must comply with their state / territory specific act and regulations and the ADG Code.

Transport of dangerous goods

In Australia, the Commonwealth is responsible for regulating the transport of dangerous goods by air through the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and by sea through the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), while the Australian states and territories have responsibility for road and rail transport of dangerous goods.

Reviews of the National Transport Commission

Section 51 of the NTC Act requires Australia’s Infrastructure and Transport Ministers to review the NTC every six years from its establishment. This review must report on the operations of the NTC and the NTC Act, its associated Inter-Government Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Road, Rail and Intermodal Transport 2003 (IGA), and make recommendations about whether the NTC should continue and/or the NTC Act be repealed.

2015 National Transport Commission terms of reference

The 2015 Review of the National Transport Commission (under Section 51 of the National Transport Commission Act 2003) Terms of Reference were agreed to by the Transport and Infrastructure Council on 7 November 2014.

Evaluation of the National Transport Commission's (‘the Commission’) operational effectiveness

The Review will assess the effectiveness of:

National Transport Commission

The National Transport Commission (NTC) was established in 2003 with ongoing responsibility to develop, monitor and maintain uniform or nationally consistent regulatory and operational reforms relating to road, rail and intermodal transport. It performs the role of an expert adviser to the Transport and Infrastructure Council (the Council) on national regulatory reform development, implementation and evaluation in the Australian land transport sector.
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