All changes to the Rail Safety National Law and National Regulations are approved by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers’ Meeting, which comprises each state/territory transport Minister.
Changes to the National Regulations are made by the South Australian Governor and published on the NSW Legislation website, in accordance with section 265 of the Rail Safety National Law and Part 6A of the Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW).
Links to current legislation as it applies in each state/territory are on our Rail Safety National Law & related legislation page.
| Commencement date | Summary of changes | Detailed changes |
| 1 May 2023 | Amendment of section 42 specifies that the Regulator must ensure that exemptions from the law, granted under Part 6 of the Act, are recorded in the National Rail Safety Register. | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2023 |
| 1 May 2023 | Amendment of section 117 creates an offence for a person providing false or misleading information in relation to their assessment of competency by a rail transport operator. | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2023 |
| 1 May 2023 | Amendment of section 203 provides for varying a Ministerial exemption but not to extend the operation of the exemption to exceed the period of exemption beyond that specified in the notice. | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2023 |
| 1 May 2023 | New section 203A provides for the Regulator to exempt rail transport operators from health and fitness management program requirements in the event of an emergency. | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2023 |
| 1 May 2023 | Amendment of the heading for Part 6 Division 2 - Exemptions granted by Regulator "on application". | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2023 |
| Commencement date | Summary of the changes | Detailed changes |
| 1 July 2022 | New reporting requirements in line with the National Rail Safety Data Strategy | Rail Safety National Law National Regulations (Reporting Requirements) Amendment Regulations 2022 | South Australian Legislation |
| Rail Safety National Law (WA) Amendment Regulations 2022 | ||
| 1 July 2022 | Variable fee rates and major project fees 2021-22 Minor amendment to regulation 37. | Rail Safety National Law National Regulations (Fees and FOI) Amendment Regulations 2022 (p1922) |
| Commencement date | Summary of the changes | Detailed changes |
| 1 November 2021 - Act | New section 128a clarifies when a worker is deemed to be carrying out rail safety work for the purposes of drug and alcohol offences, being when a worker has arrived at their place of work and signed in to undertake rail safety work, or is otherwise on duty. | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Rail Safety Work) Amendment Bill 2020 Proclamation gazette (p3752) |
| 1 July 2021 - Regulations | Variable fee rates and major project fees 2021-22 | Rail Safety National Law National Regulations (Fees) Variation Regulations 2021 (p2280) |
| 24 May 2021- Regulations | Minor changes to regulation 37 (1a) to clarify that any document provided in accordance with section 20, or that contains any part of a train safety recording, will be exempt from being compelled under the Freedom of Information Act. | Rail Safety National Law National Regulations (Modification of FOI Act) Variation Regulations 2021 |
| Commencement date | Summary of the changes | Detailed changes |
| 1 July 2020 - Act | Changes to section 4 and 8(1) | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Rail Safety Work) Amendment Act 2020* |
| 1 July 2020 - regulations | Variable fee rates for 2020-21 Update to the reference to the Northern Territory gazette to ensure regulation 25 remains current as changes are gazetted. Minor change to clarify that immediate verbal reports of category A occurrences must be reported to ONRSR (current arrangement). |
Rail Safety National Law National Regulations (Fees and Other Measures) Variation Regulations 2020 |
| Commencement date | Summary of the changes | Detailed changes |
| 2 December 2019 | Regulation 7 (1) (e) removed (excluded Victorian railways) | RSNL National Regulations (Application of Law) Variation Regulations 2019* |
| 1 July 2019 – Act | Changes to the Rail Safety National Law (2019).pdf | RSNL (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2019* |
| 1 July 2019 – Regulations | RSNL National Regulations Variation Regulation 2019* RSNL National Regulations (Fees) Variation Regulation 2019 |
| Commencement date | Summary of the changes | Detailed changes |
| 1 July 2017 – Act | Changes to the Rail Safety National Law (2017) | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous No 3) Amendment Act 2017* |
| 1 July 2017 – Regulations | RSNL National Regulations Variation Regulations 2016* RSNL National Regulations (Queensland Fatigue Provisions) Variation Regulations 2017)* RSNL National Regulations (Fees and Returns) Variation Regulations 2017 * |
| Commencement date | Summary of the changes | Detailed changes |
| 1 August 2016 – Act | Changes to the Rail Safety National Law (2016) | RSNL (South Australia) (Miscellaneous No 2) Amendment Act 2016* |
| 1 July 2016 – Regulations | Rail Safety National Law National Regulations (Fees) Variation Regulations 2016 Rail Safety National Law National Regulations Variation Regulations 2016* |
| Commencement date | Summary of the changes | Detailed changes |
| 1 July 2015 - Act | Changes to the Rail Safety National Law (2014) | Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2015* |
| 1 July 2015 – Regulations | Rail Safety National Law National Regulations (Fees) Variation Regulations 2015 Rail Safety National Law National Regulations Variation Regulations 2015 |
Commencement of the changes in Western Australia is subject to a separate parliamentary process and timing.