Finding Australian Legislation Research Guide

The following commercial databases and free websites can be used to find Australian legislation.

Multi-Jurisdictional

• AustLII - Provides access to full-text legislation of states and territories.
• Lawlex - Comprehensive legislation and bills for all Australian jurisdictions with explanatory memoranda and Hansard 2nd reading speeches. Comprehensive subject index to legislation.
• Legislation Tracker (via Lexis web site) Australian legislation links for all jurisdictions (comprehensive links)

Commonwealth

• BillsNet (via Parliament of Australia) - Bills from 1997 onwards with links to related documents including Explanatory Memorandums, Bills Digests, Second Reading Speeches, Proposed Amendments.
• ComLaw / FRLI (via Australian Attorney-Generals Department) - Australian Commonwealth law and Federal register of legislative instruments (FRLI) with ancillary documents and information.
  All aspects of Commonwealth legislation including Hansard references, Gazette notices, commonly viewed legislation.
  Table of acts in chronological and alphabetical order from 1901 with information about how the legislation was affected by later legislation - part of the Australian Law Online initiative.

Queensland

• Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Council - Queensland Legislation including Acts as Passed, reprints, subordinate legislation and Bills.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

• ACT Legislation Register- ACT legislation in both authorised and unauthorised formats.

New South Wales

• New South Wales Legislation (NSW Parliamentary Counsel Website)- NSW legislation home page. NSW Acts and subordinate legislation in force.
• NSW Bills - Website from the NSW Parliament. Provides details of bills introduced since 1997 with explanatory notes.

Northern Territory

• Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Hansard and Legislation - Daily Hansard and parliamentary records. Legislative databases:
  • Current Northern Territory Legislation
  • Northern Territory Legislation History
  • Register of Legislation
• Northern Territory Government Gazette - Online version of the NT Government Gazette.

South Australia

• Parliament of South Australia - Legislation - South Australian Acts and Regulations. Index of South Australian Legislation.
• Subject Index to South Australian Legislation- Search for principal public Acts of SA by subject not contain rules and regulations.

Tasmania

• Tasmanian Legislation- The Tasmanian Government's site for consolidated legislation

Victoria

• Parliament of Victoria - Bills- This site provides access to Bills before parliament at the current sitting.
• Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents- Victorian legislation and parliamentary papers. Links to historical legislative information.

Western Australia

• Western Australian BillsSearch for Bills by Parliament session. Click on "View Bill Progress" to view the explanatory memoranda.
• Western Australian Legislation (via the State Law Publisher)WA statutes and regulations. Customized listings. Legislation information tables.