National Highway (Australia)

The National Highway in Australia is a system of highways that connects all states and territories Australia and its largest and most important cities. The system, together with the railways since 2009 a part of the National Networks in the Nation Building Program (formerly AusLink )

The National Highway was created in 1974 by the National Highway Act 1974. Previously, the main roads were funded by the federal government only, for the construction and preservation, however, the states were responsible.

A number of laws (including the Australian Land Transport Development Act 1988), which were placed with the AusLink National Network repealed, had until then defined which roads were to be designated as National Highway. It was the rule that a National Highway, had to make as a connection of several roads, a direct connection between the two capitals of states or the Federal Capital. A connection to Cairns and a distance from Burnie to Hobart in Tasmania had also been referred to as National Highway.

With the AusLink project of expanding the road network was proposed. The financing of the National Highways can now be done by the government of states, territories and also by Public Private Partnership models. The states must contribute to financing especially for new routes and new projects will be funded in each half from the central government and the state governments.

Road links in the AusLink National Network

• Sydney - Melbourne via the Hume Highway and Hume Freeway
• Sydney - Brisbane via Sydney - Newcastle Freeway, New England Highway, Cunningham Highway and Pacific Highway
• Brisbane - Cairns Bruce Highway
• Brisbane - Darwin Warrego Highway, Landsborough Highway, Barkly Highway and Stuart Highway
• Brisbane - Melbourne via Warrego Highway, Gore Highway, Newell Highway and Goulburn Valley Highway and Hume Freeway
• Melbourne - Adelaide via Western Freeway, Western Highway, Duke Highway, South Eastern Freeway and Adelaide - Crafers Highway
• Adelaide - Darwin via Port Wakefield Road and Stuart Highway
• Adelaide - Sydney via Sturt Highway and Hume Highway
• Adelaide - Perth via Port Wakefield Road, Eyre Highway, Coolgardie - Esperance Highway and Great Eastern Highway
• Perth - Darwin via the Great Northern Highway, Victoria Highway and Stuart Highway
• Sydney - Canberra via the Hume Highway and Federal Highway
• Melbourne - Canberra via Hume Freeway, Hume Highway, Barton Highway
• Hobart - Burnie including a link from Launceston to Bell Bay via Brooker Highway, Midland Highway and Bass Highway
• Townsville - Mount Isa on the Flinders Highway
• Melbourne - Sale on Princes Highway
• Perth - Bunbury on South Western Highway
• Melbourne - Mildura via Calder Highway
• Sydney - Dubbo on Great Western Highway and Mitchell Highway
• Sydney - Wollongong on the Southern Freeway and Princes Highway
• Melbourne - Geelong on the Princes Highway
• Some short connections in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, which connect to the remote roads, ports or airports

Swell

• AusLink ( National Land Transport ) Act National Land Transport Network Determination 2005 ( No. 1)
• Australian Government Department of Transport and Infrastructure - National Network

• Transport (Australia)
• Road Traffic ( Australia)