Help review and update the Roads Act 1993

With the input and support of councils and peak bodies, we aim to review and update the Roads Act 1993 (The Act) which will empower roads authorities, allow for faster decision making, improve operational processes and deliver a statute which is adaptable for the future.

The Roads Act 1993 is over 30 years old and the NSW Government wants to ensure it continues to be fit-for-purpose. Roads authorities have built in various administrative procedures and workarounds, which have resulted in complex and time-consuming processes for the planning, operation, regulation of activities and management of the road network in NSW.

Working with local government and industry

Simplifying the planning, management and delivery of roads is key to building stronger communities and connections across NSW. Transport for NSW wants to work with councils and key industry bodies to identify opportunities to simplify processes within the legislation to make road management more efficient and straightforward.

By working together, we hope to achieve these four outcomes proposed for the Roads Act Review:

1. enable more contemporary uses for roads and streets through the Act to guide how the law applies to a range of road users, and inform a more simplified road classification system to improve road and street administration and regulation and contribute to improved road safety outcomes.
2. enable faster local council and other roads authority decision making.
3. create an easier to use statute that is adaptable and responsive to the future via planning.
4. overcome operating challenges for roads authorities.

Issues Paper: Thank you for having your say

The review of the Act will be carried out through to 2026. It will look at specific areas of the legislation to identify improvements to the way we plan for and manage roads and streets in NSW.

To launch this review process, Transport for NSW developed an Issues Paper to outline the process and the intended scope of the review.

Feedback on the Issues Paper was open from Friday 14 February 2025 to Friday 28 March 2025, stakeholders were encouraged to complete the online survey, post a suggestion or idea on the ideas board, or provide a written submission to roadsactfeedback@transport.nsw.gov.au. While formal consultation on the Issues Paper has closed, the paper contains useful information about the Act and this review and is still available to download and read. Transport for NSW will build on the Issues Paper in upcoming stages of the review.

The project team has now reviewed more than 100 survey responses, ideas and submissions which will inform the next steps for the review process. We would like to thank everyone who has participated in this first stage and collaborated with Transport for NSW to kick off this once-in-a-generation review.

A consultation summary report is now available, providing an overview of the key themes and issues raised during this first phase of consultation. Submissions can be viewed on the project webpage.

Next steps

In the second half of 2025, an Options Paper will be published on our website and the Have Your Say portal for consultation as part of our ongoing engagement for the review.

In the meantime, Transport for NSW acknowledges some stakeholders may wish to provide additional feedback on the topics outlined in the Issues Paper, while the Issues Paper survey is now closed comments can continue to be shared via roadsactfeedback@transport.nsw.gov.au