Legislation is a collective term for laws in New South Wales. This includes an Act (or Statute) and subordinate legislation (known as Regulations). An Act passed by both Houses of the Parliament of New South Wales and assented to by the Governor on behalf of the Queen becomes a law. A proposed Act is called a Bill.
Parliament of New South Wales website provide information on Understanding an Act. The NSW Legislation website provide Aids to interpreting Acts and a range of factsheets and other legislative resources.
2002–
New South Wales Legislation website provides access to in-force legislation in consolidated form, including historical versions from 2002 (earlier for some selected titles). Repealed legislation available from 2002 (for some titles repealed before 2002, a single version as at the date of repeal is available)
1824–
New South Wales Legislation website provides access historical Acts available as made from 1824. Historical Acts also available from Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII)
2002–
New South Wales Legislation website provides access to Statutory Instruments and Environmental Planning Instruments currently in force, including historical versions, from 2002 (earlier for some selected titles).
1990–
Statutory instruments are available as made from 1990
2001–
Environmental planning instruments are available as made from 2001
1987–
New South Wales Legislation website provides access Bills (and their explanatory note) as originally introduced into Parliament from 1987.
1979–
Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII) provides access Bills from 1979.
Explanatory notes 1987–
Explanatory notes are include with Bills (see above)
Current and cumulative information
This page has links to a selection of tables providing current and cumulative information about NSW legislation. Users can automatically generate the tables for a selected point in time. The data from which the tables are generated is constantly updated in response to legislative events.
Historical information
This page has links to a collection of publications containing historical information, including the following tables about NSW legislation.
1990–2012
Legislation in force provides a cumulative, consolidated collection of historical alphabetical tables, including some or all of the following legislation in force as at 1 January each year.
1990–2011
Monthly Acts tables provides a consolidated collection of alphabetical tables with details of the following historical legislative events for the period 1 January to 31 December each year for the period 1988 to 2010.
1986–2012
Table of Acts repealed provides a cumulative, alphabetical table with the following historical details about Acts repealed during the period 1986 to 2012.
1988–2010
Monthly statutory instruments tables provide a consolidated collection of alphabetical tables with details of the following historical legislative events for the period 1 January to 31 December each year for the period 1988 to 2010
Until 2008 (first reprint held dated 1978)
Act ... reprinted as at ...
Reprints of New South Wales acts in force incorporating amendments up to date of reprint. Library has volumes 1-33, subscription cancelled in 2008. Superseded reprints were discarded; not all acts were printed regularly. Filed alphabetically.
1957
The public acts of New South Wales 1824-1957
Cumulation of all New South Wales acts in force as at 1957 incorporating all amendments.
1937
The Public acts of New South Wales 1824-1937
Cumulation of all New South Wales acts in force as at 1937 incorporating all amendments. Index in vols.12-13.
2000-2012
The statutes of New South Wales (public and private) passed during the session of …
Annual volumes including all acts passed during that year. SLV has not received volumes for 2001 or 2002 but does have 2003. Missing volumes are available at University of Melbourne Law Library. SLV is no longer receiving loose copies of individual acts as passed. For recent acts, refer to online resources.
1862-1999
The statutes of New South Wales (public and private) passed during the session of …
Annual volumes including all acts passed during that year. Use online resources to access historical Acts available as made from 1824 onwards.
1824-1862
The public general statutes of New South Wales
Annual volumes including all acts passed during that year. Use online resources to access historical Acts available as made from 1824 onwards.
1832 to 1862
The private acts of New South Wales: from 3 Gulielmi IV to 26 Victoriae, inclusive (1832-1862)
19th century Acts that passed through Parliament as Private Bills that generally affect only a single individual or corporation and have a very limited application. A list of all Private Acts in force available through NSW Legislation website.
Until 2008
New South Wales. Authorised reprinted statutory instruments
Library subscription cancelled. Reprinted rules, regulations, by-laws, and ordinances incorporating all amendments up to date of reprint. Superseded reprints were discarded.
1999-2003, 2005, 2007-2008, 2009
Rules, regulations, by-laws, ordinances, etc. issued during the year ... : with appendix containing table of existing rules and regulations and index.
1983-1987; 1976-1981; 1991-1995; 2000
Library does not hold annual volumes for regulations in these years. They are available at University of Melbourne Law Library.
1919-1975; 1982; 1988-1990; 1996-1998
Rules, regulations, by-laws, ordinances, etc. issued during the year ... : with appendix containing table of existing rules and regulations and index.
1899/1902 (vol. 1)-1918 (vol. 7)
N.S.W. rules, regulations and by-laws of practical utility to the legal profession.
1929-2011
[Bills presented to the Parliament of New South Wales].
Library is no longer receiving printed copies of bills. Use online resources to access Bills from 1987 onwards.
1987 to date
Explanatory notes for bills passed in ...
Use online resources to access explanatory notes from 1987 onwards.
1929-1986
Explanatory notes are bound with relevant bill. Not all bills have accompanying explanatory note. See above for details of bills.
Indexes for each year are bound with annual volumes of acts and regulations
2001-2004
Acts tables
Library no longer receiving issues. Use online resources to access legislative tables including Bills introduced and Acts assented to from 1992 onwards.
1856-2003
New South Wales. Legislative Council. Alphabetical list of acts
Produced annually but latest issue held by Library is 2003 edition.
Legislation – collective terms for laws, including Acts and subordinate legislation (‘regulations’).
Acts (also called ‘statutes’) – are laws made by Parliament.
Subordinate legislation in New South Wales this includes 'Statutory Instruments' and 'Environmental planning instruments' (commonly referred to as ‘Regulations’) – laws made under powers conferred by an Act
Consolidated legislation – versions of acts and regulations that include amendments made after their original enactment and which are currently in operation.
As made legislation – versions of acts or regulations as they were originally enacted without any subsequent amendments incorporated.
Current legislation – versions of acts and regulations that are currently in force.
Point-in-time searching – allows you to navigate legislation at any given point in time, to check on the different historical versions, and to make comparisons between them.
Bills – are proposed Acts introduced to Parliament.
Explanatory note (in other states known as 'Fact Sheets') – accompanies a Bill and explains what provisions mean and the intentions of the Bill.
