The Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) was an
agency of the
Government of New South Wales
The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the executive state government of New South Wales, Australia. The government comprises 11 portfolios, led by a ministerial department and supported by several agencies. Th ...
responsible for major
road
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
Th ...
infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed state roads and provided funding to
local councils for regional and local roads. In addition, with assistance from the
federal government
A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
, the RTA also managed the NSW national highway system. The agency was abolished in 2011 and replaced by
Roads & Maritime Services
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
The wo ...
.
History
The
Department of Main Roads (DMR) was established in November 1932, and undertook works across New South Wales, including maintenance of all major roads into Sydney and programs of road reconstruction, construction, upgrading and rerouting. The DMR was also responsible for many ferries and bridges in New South Wales.
On 16 January 1989, the Department of Main Roads, Department of Motor Transport, and the Traffic Authority were amalgamated to form the Roads & Traffic Authority under the .
On 1 November 2011, the Roads & Traffic Authority merged with
NSW Maritime to become
Roads & Maritime Services
A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
The wo ...
(RMS). Planning and co-ordination functions were transferred to
Transport for NSW
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is a Government of New South Wales, New South Wales Government transport services and roads List of New South Wales government agencies, agency established on 1 November 2011. The agency is a different entity to the NSW ...
. On 1 December 2019 the RMS was dissolved by act of parliament and merged with Transport for NSW.
Regions of the RTA

The Roads & Traffic Authority was divided into six regions:
*Sydney region encompassed the area of the
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
metropolitan and the
Blue Mountains areas
*The Hunter Region encompassed the
Hunter Region
The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, Newcastle Region, or simply Hunter, spans the region in northern New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River (New Sout ...
,
Central Coast and the southern portion of the
Mid North Coast
*Northern Region extended from about
Taree to the
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
border, and goes as far inland as
Tamworth, called "New England"
*Southern Region encompassed the land south east of the
ACT and the
Illawarra
The Illawarra is a coastal Regions of New South Wales, region in the southeast of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast, New South Wales, South Coast region. It encompas ...
area near
Wollongong
Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...
*South West Region encompassed essentially the land west of the Australian Capital Territory to the
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
border, extending from the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
up to around
West Wyalong called the
Riverina
The Riverina ()
is an agricultural list of regions in Australia, region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, a climate with significant seaso ...
*Western Region encompassed the remaining section in the west and north west of the state
Functions
The Roads & Traffic Authority had managed 4,787 bridges and of state
roads and highways, including of
national highways
National Highways (NH), formerly Highways England and before that the Highways Agency, is a State-owned enterprise, government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving Roads in England, motorways and major A roads in Eng ...
, and employed 6,900 staff in more than 180 offices throughout NSW, including 129 Motor Registries Offices.
Vehicle registration

The RTA was responsible for the registration of vehicles (including the issuing of
registration plates) and the issuing of
drivers licences in New South Wales, including testing and administering of licences. Additionally, the RTA produced
photo cards for identification of non-drivers and issued photographic
firearms licences for the New South Wales Police Firearms Registry, security licences for the
New South Wales Police
The New South Wales Police Force is a law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia, established in 1862. With more than 17,000 police officers, it is the largest police organisation in Australia, policing an area of 801,60 ...
, Commercial Agents & Private Inquiry Agents cards and mobility parking permits.
Major incident response
Within NSW, the Transport Management Centre was responsible for managing special events and unplanned incidents and disseminating information to motorists. It is the central point for identifying and directing the response to incidents such as crashes, breakdowns and spills. It passes on information to the public through the media, the RTA call centre and variable message signs along routes.
In 1999 the NSW Transport Management Centre (TMC) established Traffic Commander and Traffic Emergency Patrol (TEP) services throughout the Greater Urban Area of Sydney to provide 24-hour 365-day-a-year coverage to "Manage the traffic arrangements around an incident scene and return the road to normal operating conditions with the utmost urgency."
Traffic commanders took command of traffic management arrangements at an incident (such as a motor vehicle collision) and liaise with other response agencies such as the police, and assist in clearing the road and minimising the effects and disruption to traffic. Traffic Emergency Patrols vans patrolled major road routes and respond to unplanned incidents with the aim of returning the road to normal operating conditions as soon as possible.
Both traffic commanders and TEP units carry a wide array of traffic management devices such as
traffic cones,
barrier boards and road signage. Both also are permitted to use and display red and blue emergency lighting and are designated as 'emergency vehicles'.
Completed projects
* Dual carriageway completion on the whole
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway, including the sections now known as the Hume Freeway and the Hume Motorway, is one of Australia's major inter-city national highways, running for between Melbourne in the southwest and Sydney in the northeast. Upgrading of t ...
and the
Great Western Highway
Great Western Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, New South Wales, Bathurst, on the state's Central Tablelands. The highway also has local road names between the ...
(between
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
and
Katoomba only).
*
Lawrence Hargrave Drive
* North
Kiama Kiama may refer to:
* Electoral district of Kiama, a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
* Kiama, New South Wales, a town
* Kiama (spider), a genus of spiders
*Municipality of Kiama
The Municipality of Kiama is a local government ar ...
Bypass
*
Sydney Orbital Network (including
Westlink M7,
Cross City Tunnel,
Lane Cove Tunnel,
Western Distributor,
General Holmes Drive,
M4 Motorway
The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is the third longest motorway in the United Kingdom, running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh ele ...
,
Southern Cross Drive,
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North ...
,
Sydney Harbour Tunnel,
Cahill Expressway,
M5 Motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West England, South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 motorway, M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Brom ...
,
M2 Hills Motorway
M2 Hills Motorway is a tolled urban motorway in Sydney, New South Wales that is part of the Sydney Orbital Network and the National Highway west of Pennant Hills Road. Owned by toll road operator Transurban, it forms majority of Sydney's ...
,
Gore Hill Freeway,
Warringah Freeway and
Eastern Distributor
The Eastern Distributor is a motorway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Part of the M1 and the Sydney Orbital Network, the motorway links the Sydney central business district with the south-east and Sydney Airport. The Eastern Distribut ...
).
Ferry services

The RTA was responsible for the provision of several car ferries, all of which were toll-free, including:
*
Berowra Waters Ferry, across
Berowra Waters
*
Lawrence Ferry, across the
Clarence River
*
Mortlake Ferry, across the
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, Ria, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average Altitude, height, and depth, depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour ...
in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
*
Sackville Ferry, across the
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River (Dharug language, Dharug: Dyarubbin) is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle ...
near the village of
Sackville
*
Speewa Ferry, across the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...
between New South Wales and
Victoria
*
Ulmarra Ferry, across the Clarence River
*
Webbs Creek Ferry, across the Hawkesbury River in the village of
Wisemans Ferry
*
Wisemans Ferry, across the Hawkesbury River in the village of Wisemans Ferry
*
Wymah Ferry, across the Murray River between New South Wales and Victoria
References
General
Great Western HighwayPrinces Highway strategy
External links
Roads & Traffic Authority
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roads and Traffic Authority
Defunct government entities of New South Wales
Defunct transport organisations based in Australia
Road authorities
*
1989 establishments in Australia
2011 disestablishments in Australia