The Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail (ADG Code) sets out the requirements for transporting dangerous goods by road or rail.
It is important that everyone involved in transporting dangerous goods understands their responsibilities to help prevent and reduce damage to people, property and the environment.
For operational advice, please direct questions to the competent authority in your state or territory. As the regulators, only they can authoritatively advise on operational issues such as labelling, packaging, quantities or placarding. Our role is limited to maintaining and updating the Code.
The code is updated every two years, with a one year transition period for each edition.
Edition 7.7 is the latest edition. It can be used from 1 October 2020 and is mandatory from 1 October 2021. The commencement date in some states may be later than 1 October 2020, please check with your competent authority.
This version, uploaded on 7 September 2020, contains the following corrections:
Front cover – the text ‘Volume 1’ deleted
Page 613 – UN numbers for ‘POWDER, SMOKELESS’ correctly formatted
Page 889 – Figure 5.2.5, dimensions corrected to reflect text
For a summary of the most important changes, read Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail: differences between edition 7.6 and edition 7.7 and the explanatory document.
If you have discovered any errors or omissions in the code, please let us know at enquiries@ntc.gov.au.
The code is given legal force in each Australian state and territory by each jurisdiction’s dangerous goods transport laws. It is important that the code is read in conjunction with these laws because they provide important information, including supply chain member duties, licence requirements and competent authority panel powers.
The state and territory law are based on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road or Rail model laws.
In very limited circumstances, individual competent authorities and the competent authority panel, can make decisions related to the transporting dangerous goods legislation, including exemptions, determinations, or approvals.
The NTC provides access to a number of resources to help you comply with the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail. These resources include the Australian Emergency Response Guide (AERG 2018), a template Concessional Limited Quantities Transport document and Class labels.
This template is a Generic transport document for carrying concessional limited quantities (CLQ) loads that comply with all requirements of the chapter 3.4.10 of the Code.
Class labels for dangerous goods based on UN Model Regulations are available to download below:
How to use:
The Australian Emergency Response Guide may be used as an optional alternative to the Initial Emergency Response Guide (HB:76). Duty holders should decide which guide best suits their specific need
AERG2018 is approved as emergency information satisfying the requirements of the Australian Code for the transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (ADG Code) and associated legislation. Approval number V19-03 was issued by Worksafe Victoria and the approval was given national effect by the Competent Authorities Panel decision number CA2019/120.
AERG2018 is available free of charge on the NTC website. It may be reproduced without further permission only if the copy accurately reproduces the entire content (text, format and colouration) of this document without modification. Modified copies are not approved emergency information satisfying obligations of the ADG code and associated legislation.
You can purchase hard copies of the Australian Emergency Response Guide (AERG) online
This checklist has been prepared to assist those who pack, consign, load, or transport alcohol-based hand sanitisers in understanding their requirements with regard to safe and lawful road and rail transport.
For technical advice please contact the regulator in your state or territory.
For information on transporting dangerous goods by air please contact the Civil Aviation Safety Authority on 131 757.
For information on transporting dangerous goods by sea please contact the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on +61 (2) 6279 5000.
For enquiries relating to the national dangerous goods transport legislative maintenance process and the national model laws, please email enquiries@ntc.gov.au.
