Austroads is the apex organisation of road transport and traffic agencies in Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It publishes guidelines, codes of practice and research reports that promote best practice for road management organisations in Australasia. Austroads is based in Sydney and funded by the Federal Government. Operations of Austroads are primarily administrative, with all research and engineering work contracted out, such as to produce the Australian standards for construction, planning and design in roads. Austroads membership comprises: *

Transport for NSW Transport for NSW, sometimes abbreviated to TfNSW, and pronounced as Transport for New South Wales, is an agency of the New South Wales Government established on 1 November 2011, and is the leading transport and roads agency in New South Wales, ...

New South Wales *

VicRoads VicRoads is a government joint venture in the state of Victoria, Australia. In the state, it is responsible for driver licensing and vehicle registration. It is owned and operated through a joint venture between the Victorian government and a ...

Department of Transport & Main Roads The Department of Transport and Main Roads, known often as TMR, is a department of the Queensland Government, formed in April 2009 with the merger of the Queensland Transport and the Department of Main Roads. The department manages Queensland ...

, QueenslandAustroads publications

Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT), formerly the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI), is a large department of the government of South Australia. The website was renamed , but without a formal announce ...

, South Australia *

Main Roads Western Australia Main Roads Western Australia (formerly the Main Roads Department) is a statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for implementing the state's policies on road access and main roads. It operates under the ' ...

Department of State Growth The Tasmanian Department of State Growth is the Tasmanian Government department with responsibility for driving state growth and to implement the government's long-term plan for creating jobs, growth, and opportunities for all Tasmanians, in Au ...

, Tasmania * Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Northern Territory * Transport Canberra & City Services, Australian Capital Territory * Commonwealt
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
*

Australian Local Government Association The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) is the principal organisation representing all 537 Local Government councils in Australia, and acts as the independent interest body for Australian local mayors, councillors and local government ...

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, or the New Zealand Transport Agency, (always abbreviated as NZTA), superseded by is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licens ...

Austroads - About
(official site)

History

At a conference of the Commonwealth and State Ministers for Transport in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in 1933, it was decided to form a national body to coordinate road transport planning. The foundation and first meeting of the new 'Conference of State Road Authorities' (COSRA) took place in February 1934, in Melbourne. After much consideration, and the interruption of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the first national route marking system was introduced in 1954, with a trial signposting of National Route 31 ( Hume Highway). As the substantive role of the organisation grew, in October 1959 the name was changed to 'National Association of Australian State Road Authorities' (NAASRA). In 1960 NAASRA set up the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) to further coordinate and encourage research into all aspects of road-making, planning and management. With increasing federal control of roads planning and development, the role of the organisation changed, and in 1989, NAASRA was disbanded and replaced by Austroads.Austroads, NAASRA and COSRA – a history of Austroads and its predecessors
Ozroads In 1997, Austroads published ''Towards a Nationally Consistent Approach to Route Marking'', which proposed a new system of alphanumeric route marking, agreed by all the transport ministers in May 1997 for nationwide implementation. Austroads' remit includes the provision of guidance for vehicle classification and cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.GUIDE TO ROAD DESIGN Part 6A: Pedestrian and Cyclist Paths
2009, Austroads; at NSW Government site

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official site
Road infrastructure in Australia