Comprehensive review of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code

Dangerous goods are essential to everyday life and modern economies, and play a vital role in industries including manufacturing, agriculture and energy.

The Australian Dangerous Goods Code (the Code) establishes the requirements for the transport of dangerous goods by road and rail in Australia. It sets out rules and guidelines for classifying, packaging, marking, labelling and transporting dangerous goods safely.

Over the past 21 months, the NTC has published 12 discussion papers on aspects of the Code that need updating or improving.  

Following this review, the NTC has prepared a draft update to ensure the Code meets current best practices and the needs of industry and regulators.  

The draft Code addresses gaps, incorporates best practices, and manages new risks to keep the transport of dangerous goods safe.  

As part of our review, we’ve prepared a Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (C-RIS) to gather feedback on the draft Code and evaluate the impact of proposed changes.  

You can also read a shorter C-RIS summary document that provides a quick overview.

Your feedback will ensure the draft Code delivers the right requirements to keep Australia’s transport system safe.

Here’s how to get involved:  

Read the full C-RIS to understand the details of this consultation, and provide your feedback through our below "Have your say" form.

Your views will help us finalise the draft Code for ministers to consider in 2025.

Public consultation closes on 10 December 2024.

How to review the ADG Code
 

As part of our consultation, we held two public information sessions to discuss the proposed changes to the Code and the likely impacts, as outlined in the C-RIS. These sessions also provided an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

You can view a recording of our webinar from 10 October 2024 here.
 

As part of the ADG Code Review, the NTC has also worked to review and incorporate the Australian Code for the transport of Explosives by Road and Rail (the AEC) into the Code. 

Explosives transport is a specialised part of the transport system. This paper enables the NTC to hear from stakeholders involved in the transport of class 1 explosives. The new explosives provisions must meet the needs of the industry and regulators. It will also ensure that we successfully incorporate these provisions into the draft Code and can maintain these provisions in the future.

The NTC has prepared a supplementary consultation paper for provisions relating to the transport of explosives. This consultation paper is additional to the broader C-RIS for the draft Code. In addition to the consultation paper, the NTC has prepared two attachments to accompany the paper:

• A draft set of provisions for explosives transport.
• An extract of the class 1 entries from the dangerous goods list.

The draft set of provisions should be read in conjunction with the draft Code (attachment D to the C-RIS) however we have aimed to provide some contextual information where appropriate.

We have also prepared a form with all the questions from the explosives paper, to assist you in preparing your response.

Submissions for this supplementary paper can also be provided through the below "Have your say" form.

Consultation on this supplementary consultation paper closes on Tuesday 17 December 2024.
 

We have worked closely with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the review of the Code. This has helped shape the proposed updates to the Code, ensuring that the needs of businesses, regulators, and the public are taken into account.

Our engagement began in 2020 with an issues paper that explored the legal framework for transporting dangerous goods. This paper highlighted key areas for reform, such as improving safety, fixing outdated rules, and closer alignment with international standards like the Agreement for the International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) and the Agreement for the International Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID). 

Since then, we’ve continued to gather input through:

• Consultation on twelve topic-specific discussion papers, receiving 138 submissions from over 50 different stakeholders.

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 12

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 11

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 10

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 9

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 8

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 7

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 6

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 5

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 4

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 3

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 2

  • Working Group Discussion Paper 1

• Online surveys and submissions to capture feedback from a variety of stakeholders.
• Webinars targeted at industry groups, regulators, and other interested parties to discuss specific updates to the Code.
• Ongoing discussions with government, industry bodies, and regulators to ensure the proposed changes are both practical and effective.

To help you navigate the draft Code and locate the sections most relevant to your needs:

• Part 1 of the Code applies to everyone along the transport supply chain. It includes general exemptions and concessions, definitions and administrative requirements, and items that could not previously be found in the Code.
• Part 2 of the Code looks at classifying dangerous goods. While classification hasn’t changed, we have introduced classification codes to assist in understanding the hazards of specific dangerous goods for transport.
• Part 3, 4 and 5 will be important to any consignors or packers of dangerous goods. Part 3 includes the dangerous goods list and special provisions.
• Parts 4 and 5 contain information on packing dangerous goods and preparing them for transport.
• Also in Part 5 and in Part 7 is information for transport companies and anyone who loads dangerous goods onto vehicles to be transported.
• Part 7, specifically, relates to loading, segregation and stowage.
• Part 8 covers all the requirements for vehicle crews transporting dangerous goods.
• If you design or construct packagings, tanks or other containment systems, then Part 6 will have the information you need.
• And if you design or manage special vehicles used for dangerous goods, like tank vehicles, then Part 9 is where you’ll find these details.

As you may appreciate, the draft Code is a very large document. 

In addition to providing your feedback to our C-RIS, you may like to notify us to any material or drafting issues identified in the draft Code. To do so, please download this form and email it back to us at ADGcode@ntc.gov.au.
 

If you’d like to express interest in the program, be added to our mailing list or ask us a question about our work, we’d like to hear from you at ADGcode@ntc.gov.au.