As powers over road transport are not specified in the Australian constitution, they lie, for the most part, with the States and Territories. Prior to the establishment of the National Road Transport Commission (NRTC) in 1991, national co-ordination of road transport regulation was undertaken through the Australian Transport Advisory Council, comprising Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for Transport. Road transport regulation includes measures covering the registration, operation and charging of vehicles, the licensing of drivers, and measures to ensure compliance with the regulations. Generally, this regulation has been the responsibility of the States and Territories in the Australian federal system. With the creation of the NRTC, Australian governments established a process of decision and implementation of road transport regulatory policy. This paper will explain the origins and functions of the NRTC and the decision-making processes made available through the NRTC Act and will discuss the effectiveness of the process over the ten years of the existence of the NRTC. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E209537. This paper may also be accessed by Internet users at: http://www.btre.gov.au/docs/atrf_02/program.html
Abstract