The National Highway (part of the National Land Transport Network) is a system of roads connecting all mainland
states and territories of Australia
The states and territories are federated administrative divisions in Australia, ruled by regional governments that constitute the second level of governance between the federal government and local governments. States are self-governing p ...
, and is the major network of
highway
A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...
s and
motorway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
s connecting Australia's capital cities and major regional centres.
History
Legislation
National funding for roads began in the 1920s, with the federal government contributing to major roads managed by the state and territory governments.
However, the Federal Government did not completely fund any roads until 1974,
when the
Whitlam Government introduced the ''National Roads Act 1974''.
[.] Under the act, the states were still responsible for road construction and maintenance, but were fully compensated for money spent on approved projects.
In 1977, the 1974 Act was replaced by the ''State Grants (Roads) Act 1977'', which contained similar provisions for the definition of "National Highways".
In 1988, the National Highway became redefined under the ''Australian Land Transport Development (ALTD) Act 1988'', which had various amendments up to 2003. The 1988 Act was largely concerned with funding road development in cooperation with the state governments. The federal transport minister defined the components of the National Highway, and also a category of "Road of National Importance" (RONI), with federal funding implications. Section 10.5 of the Act required the state road authorities to place frequent, prominent, signs on the National Highways and RONI projects funded by the federal government.
In 2005, the National Highway became the National Land Transport Network, under the ''AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005''. The criteria for inclusion in the network was similar to the previous legislation, but expanded to include connections to major commercial centres, and
inter-modal facilities. All of the roads included in National Land Transport Network as of 2005 were formally defined by regulation in October 2005. The Minister for Transport may alter the list of roads included in the network. Three amendments to the scheduled list of roads have been made, in February 2007, September 2008 and February 2009. The third variation, published in February 2009, is current as of September 2012.
Under
AusLink a program that operated between July 2004 and 2009, the ''AusLink National Network'' had additional links, both road and rail. The Federal Government encouraged funding from state, territory and local governments and
public–private partnership
A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Review, Public Administ ...
s to upgrade the network and requires state government funding contributions on parts of the network, especially for new links. For example, the
Pacific Highway and the
Calder Highway are part of the National Network, yet new projects are being funded 50/50 by federal and state governments. State contributions (generally 20%) are required on some sections of the old network near major cities.
Roads and routes
The various superseded Acts defined National Highways as roads, or a series of connected roads, that were the primary connection between two State or Territory capital cities, as well as between
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
and
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
, and between
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
and
Burnie.
The Melbourne-
Devonport ferry route is sometimes described colloquially as the 'sea highway', providing a link from Tasmania to the rest of the country by road.
The of roads included in the original National Highway system had large variations in road quality. Some sections were no more than dirt tracks, whilst others were four lane dual carriageways. While was sealed, there was also worth of gravel roads. The National Highway was gradually improved, with the sealed proportion increased from 73 per cent in the early 1970s to 88 per cent by 1981. The sealing works were completed in 1989.
Since 2005, National Highways were no longer defined in federal legislation. However, the routes were marked with a National Highway route marker up until 2013. These markers have "NATIONAL" printed in the upper portion of the shield, above the highway's number. The shield, text and number are coloured yellow while the background is dark green – the
national colours of Australia. In 2014, the route makers retained the national colours, although the word "NATIONAL" was removed in the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, and parts of both
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
and
Victoria.
National Highway numbering originates from the earlier national route network. Many of the routes that are now National Highways with the signature green and gold shields, continue beyond the official National Highway as the black and white shielded national routes. Certain stretches of the National Highways have "A" and "M" tag on their shields; particularly those in Victoria and South Australia. They have completely revised their route numbering, basing it on the British M, A, B, C classifications. These states have retained the original National Highway numbering and shield decal, having added the appropriate M and A classification.
List of roads on the National Land Transport Network
*Sydney to Melbourne –
Hume Motorway/Hume Highway/Hume Freeway
*Sydney to
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
– the
Pacific Motorway (Sydney–Newcastle)
The Pacific Motorway, signposted M1, is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is also known by its former names F3 Freeway, Sydney–Newcastle Freeway, and Sydney–Newc ...
,
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
and
Cunningham Highways route and the
Pacific Highway route
*Brisbane to
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
–
Bruce Highway
*Brisbane to
Darwin –
Warrego,
Landsborough,
Barkly and
Stuart Highways
*Brisbane to Melbourne – Warrego,
Gore
Gore may refer to:
Places Australia
* Gore, Queensland
* Gore Creek (New South Wales)
* Gore Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community
* Gore, Quebec, a township municipality
* Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manitouli ...
,
Newell and
Goulburn Valley Highways and Hume Freeway
*Melbourne to
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
–
Western Freeway,
Western Highway,
Dukes Highway and
South Eastern Freeway
*Adelaide to Darwin –
Port Wakefield Road
Port Wakefield Highway (and its southern section as Port Wakefield Road) is an important South Australian highway, connecting Adelaide to the Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, northern and western South Australia, the Northern Territory and Wester ...
,
Augusta Highway
Augusta Highway is the part of Australia's ring route ( Highway 1) located in South Australia between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta.
Route
Augusta Highway starts at the intersection with Eyre and Stuart Highways in Port Augusta West, then ...
and
Stuart Highway
*Adelaide to Sydney –
Sturt and
Hume Highway/Hume Motorway
*Adelaide to
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
–
Port Wakefield Road
Port Wakefield Highway (and its southern section as Port Wakefield Road) is an important South Australian highway, connecting Adelaide to the Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, northern and western South Australia, the Northern Territory and Wester ...
,
Augusta Highway
Augusta Highway is the part of Australia's ring route ( Highway 1) located in South Australia between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta.
Route
Augusta Highway starts at the intersection with Eyre and Stuart Highways in Port Augusta West, then ...
,
Eyre,
Coolgardie-Esperance (part) and
Great Eastern Highways
*Perth to Darwin –
Great Northern Great Northern may refer to:
Transport
* One of a number of railways; see Great Northern Railway (disambiguation).
* Great Northern Railway (U.S.), a defunct American transcontinental railroad and major predecessor of the BNSF Railway.
* Great ...
,
Victoria and
Stuart Highways
*Sydney to
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
–
Hume Motorway/Hume Highway and
Federal Highway
*Melbourne to Canberra –
Hume Freeway/Hume Highway and
Barton Highway
*
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
to
Burnie including the link from
Launceston to
Bell Bay –
Brooker,
Midlands
The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
and the
Bass Highway
*Townsville to
Mount Isa –
Flinders Highway
*Melbourne to
Sale –
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
*Perth to
Bunbury –
South Western Highway
*Melbourne to
Mildura –
Calder Highway
*Sydney to
Dubbo
Dubbo () is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021.
The city is located at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell, and Gol ...
–
Great Western and
Mitchell Highway
Mitchell Highway is an outback state highway located in the Central West Queensland, central and South West Queensland, south western regions of Queensland and the North West Slopes, northern and Central West, New South Wales, central western ...
s
*Sydney to
Wollongong
Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...
–
Princes Motorway and
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
*Melbourne to
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
–
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
*some urban links in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, connecting the long distance links to each other and to ports and airports.
Former National Highway routes
The following roads were part of the original National Highway network. Most are still signposted with National Highway route markers. In 2013, New South Wales introduced a new alphanumeric route numbering system, which no longer includes national highways.
History of changes to Australia's National Highway network
Australia's National Highway Network has had a number of changes since the ''National Roads Act 1974'' was originally established in 1974. The 1974 Act empowered the Federal
Minister for Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government agen ...
to declare as a National Highway, any existing or proposed road in a
State, which (in the Minister's opinion), was the main route between two
State capitals; a State capital and
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
; a State capital and
Darwin;
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
and
Cairns
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
;
Hobart
Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
and
Burnie; or any other road which, in the Minister's opinion, was important enough to be a National Highway.
Subsequent replacement legislation in 1977, 1988, and 2005, along with other intervening amendments, contained similar provisions. Notably, important roads to near-metropolitan locations such as
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River, ...
,
Bunbury and
Wollongong
Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...
were added in 2005, although not within the original concept of interstate National Highways.
Original routes included in 1974
The original components of the National Highway were officially declared on 20 September 1974, as "links" and terminated at the edge of each capital city.
The parts of the routes within the major urban areas were not defined as National Highways, and the
Sturt and
Newell highway routes were not included in the original 1974 network. In June 1995, as a condition of federal funding, the National Highway route in New South Wales was required to remove existing tolling on the
former F3 and
former F6 inter-urban freeways, even though the former F6 did not become part of a National Highway until 2005.
The Sydney to
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
route via the
Hume and Sturt highways, and the
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 ...
to
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
route via the Newell Highway, were added as links of the National Highway network in November 1992 under the 1988 Act, however the decision to use the route from
Goondiwindi to Brisbane via the
Gore Highway
The Gore Highway is a highway running between Toowoomba and Goondiwindi in Queensland, Australia. Together with Goulburn Valley Highway and Newell Highway, it is a part of the National Highway's Melbourne-Brisbane link. It is signed as National ...
and Toowoomba, rather than the
Cunningham Highway (via Warwick), was not finalized until October 1993.
These were the only two major routes added to the National Highway network between 1974 and 2005. In addition, the urban ends of intercity routes, and some link roads and ring roads joining national routes, were explicitly added to the National Highway network for the first time.
As sections of existing highways were upgraded or replaced by nearby parallel routes of a new higher standard, the "National Highway" designation was usually moved onto the new part of the route. The principal route between Sydney and Newcastle was shifted from the old
Pacific Highway onto the new Sydney-Newcastle freeway in nine separate stages between 1966 and 1999 as the freeway was progressively implemented. Similar changes were made as the Hume Highway was re-developed.
Routes included in the National Land Transport Network for the first time under the 2005 legislation
Appendix 1 of the 'Auslink (National Land Transport) Bill' of 2004, listed the routes which were proposed to be included in 'The Auslink National Network'.
The listing included here distinguished between the components of the "former National Highway system", and the additional routes to be added to the Auslink National Network after the implementation of the new Act, which occurred in 2005. All of the existing routes of the National Highway prior to 2005 were included in the new network. The routes added with the inception of the 2005 Act (as described in Appendix 1 referenced above, some of the descriptions are somewhat ambiguous but clarified in the ensuing regulations)
are:
*the Pacific Highway route between Newcastle and Brisbane
*the route between Townsville and Mt Isa
*the route from Sydney (or Eastern Creek) to Dubbo via the M4, Great Western and Mitchell highway
*the Calder Highway route from Melbourne to Mildura via Bendigo
*the Southern Freeway and Princes Highway route from Sydney to Wollongong
*the Princes Freeway from Melbourne to Geelong
*the Monash Freeway, Princes Freeway and Princes Highway to Taralgon and Sale
*the route between Perth and Bunbury
*the route from Launceston to Bell Bay
*some additional urban connecting routes linking ports and airports and linking the national routes, and forming urban growth corridors, a complete definition of the network as of 2005 is included in the schedule of the 2005 Act
Changes to the National Land Transport Network made in 2007
*The route description for the Cumberland Highway ( Pennant Hills Road ), between the junctions with the M2 motorway and the F3 Sydney-Newcastle Freeway, was altered. Almost all of the original Cumberland Highway route from Prestons to Wahroonga, established in the 2005 network, was deleted due to the opening of the M7 motorway.
Changes to the National Land Transport Network made in 2008
*The route description of the national route consisting of part of the Princes Freeway and Princes Highway between Melbourne and Waurn Ponds (west of Geelong), was altered.
*The proposed Townsville Port Access Road was added.
*The proposed Tiger Brennan Drive extension in suburban Darwin was added.
Changes to the National Land Transport Network made in 2009
*The portion of the
M4 Western Motorway in Sydney, between
Eastern Creek
Eastern Creek is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Creek is located west of the Sydney central business district, in the Blacktown local government area and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region.
E ...
and
Strathfield was added.
*The part of the
Princes Freeway
Princes Freeway is a Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell, Victoria, Morwell in the east. It continues be ...
, and
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
, west of Melbourne which is included in the National network, was extended from
Waurn Ponds
Waurn Ponds is a mainly residential southern suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
The suburb is bounded by Rossack Drive, Princes Highway, the Geelong to Warrnambool railway, Reservoir Road, Draytons Road, Pigdons Road, Deakin University and ...
to
Colac.
*A section of the
Great Eastern Highway and the Great Eastern Highway Bypass in suburban Perth was added.
*Alteration to the definition of the
South Road
South Road and its southern section as Main South Road outside of Adelaide is a major north–south conduit connecting Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula, in South Australia. It is one of Adelaide's most important arterial and bypass roads. As ...
route in Adelaide and addition of the access road to Adelaide Airport.
*The
Townsville Ring Road
The Townsville Ring Road is a motorway in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The road has been constructed as the new A1/ M1 (Bruce Highway) route that bypasses the inner metro area of Townsville. The road was built in 4 stages with the first s ...
was added
*The
Karratha-
Dampier Road and part of the
North West Coastal Highway was added.
*The
Bunbury Port Access Road and part of the
Bunbury Outer Ring Road
The Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) is a partially-constructed ring road around the city of Bunbury, Western Australia. The road will be long when complete, and link Forrest Highway in the north-east to Bussell Highway in the south-west, passi ...
were added.
*Part of the Hobart-Burnie route was altered.
Urban components of the national land transport (road) network
In Sydney, only a subset of the network of motorways and major roads in the Sydney metropolitan area are part of the current National Land Transport (Roads) Network, the rest are not part of the national network and therefore the Federal Government does not contribute funding on the same basis. The following roads in and around Sydney are currently part of the designated National Land Transport Network
*Hume Highway from Melbourne to the junction of the M7 and M5 at Prestons, continuing on the
M5 South Western Motorway
The M5 Motorway is a motorway located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that is designated with the M5 route and forms part of the Sydney Orbital Network. The M5 route number comprises two connected parts, separately owned and operated:
*T ...
to
General Holmes Drive
General Holmes Drive is a major divided road located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The road forms part of the M1, the A1, the Sydney Orbital Network, and the Australian Highway 1 network. Initially built in 1919 as a two-lane road ...
(near Kyeemagh) and then Foreshore Road to its junction with Botany Road.
*
Cumberland Highway (
Pennant Hills Road), between the junction with the
M2 Hills Motorway at Carlingford, and the junction at the commencement of the
Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga.
Note: The 2005 network included a route comprising a small part of the old Hume Highway from Prestons to Liverpool, the Cumberland Highway from Liverpool to Northmead, part of James Ruse Drive, and Pennant Hills Road from North Parramatta to the Pacific Motorway junction at Wahroonga.
Almost all of this route, except the connection between the M2 and Pacific motorways at the northern end, was removed from the national network in 2007,
due to the opening of the M7/M2 route as an alternative.
*
Pacific Motorway, north from Wahroonga.
*The whole of the
Westlink M7
The Westlink M7 or M7 Motorway, formerly Western Sydney Orbital, is a tolled urban motorway in Sydney and is a part of the Sydney Orbital Network. Owned by the NorthWestern Roads (NWR) Group, it connects three motorways: M5 South-West Motorwa ...
motorway, from its junction with the M5 at Prestons, to Seven Hills, and then the part of the M2 Hills Motorway from Seven Hills to the junction of the Cumberland Highway (Pennant Hills Road) at Carlingford.
*
King Georges Road
King Georges Road is a major arterial road in Sydney, Australia, running through the local government areas of the Georges River Council and City of Canterbury-Bankstown.
King Georges Road begins at a junction with the Princes Highway at Bla ...
, from its connection to the
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
at Blakehurst, thence Wiley Avenue, thence Roberts Road to its intersection with the Hume Highway at Greenacre (Chullora).
*The Princes Highway from its intersection with King Georges Road at Blakehurst, the Princes Motorway to its intersection with the Northern Distributor at Gwynneville (Wollongong).
*The
M4 Western Motorway, between Strathfield and Emu Plains, continuing onto the
Great Western Highway towards Dubbo.
The portion of the M4 between Eastern Creek and Strathfield was only added in 2009.
National highway route numbering
In addition to the network of federally funded National Highways defined in 1974, there was also a system of "national routes". This scheme, which predated the National Highways in 1953, was a plan to coordinate State road authorities to allocate consistent highway numbers to major highways which traversed more than one State, for the convenience of travellers.
The most notable example is "Highway 1", which follows the periphery of the continent, and only parts of which form part of the former National Highway and current National Land Transport (Roads) Network.
See also
*
Highway 1 (Australia)
References
{{reflist
External links
AusLink National NetworkNational Land Transport Network – Road Corridors
Highways in Australia