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Chief Executive message
Under the national regime, ITSR will continue to oversee rail safety regulation in NSW but will do so under delegation from the NRSR through a service level agreement.
ITSR strongly supports efforts to advance rail safety outcomes across Australia and we are working hard to ensure the current standard of rail safety and regulation in NSW is not diminished as a result of the reforms.
ITSR is continuing to assist the NRSR Project Office as it finalises the structure, operational systems and policies of the new regulator. We are also working with the other state and territory regulators through the Rail Safety Regulators’ Panel (RSRP) to resolve a range of cross-jurisdictional issues and promote consistency in the administrative application of the law – both now and under the NRSR.
The legislative framework for the national regulator is being established in stages, starting with the approval of the rail safety national law in November 2011. A bill to establish the NRSR entered the parliament of South Australia (where the regulator will locate its head office) in mid-March.
NSW, along with other jurisdictions, will then need to pass enacting legislation over the coming months. That means the Rail Safety Act 2008 will be replaced by new NSW legislation that will apply the national rail safety law.
A number of outstanding policy issues will be resolved over the coming weeks and months.
Australia’s transport ministers will vote on the national approach for regulating the hours of work and rest for rail safety workers across Australia when they meet on 18 May. The ministers will consider a recommendation from the National Transport Commission developed following its recent public consultation on a draft regulatory impact statement on rail fatigue risk management.
ITSR contributed to the Transport for NSW (TfNSW) submission on the RIS. The TfNSW submission is now available on the NTC website.
The details of ITSR’s service level agreement with the national regulator and delegations are also being finalised. Once these and other significant issues are settled, we plan to hold a information session to ensure NSW operators are informed of how we will operate under the new national arrangements.
Len Neist
Chief Executive
