For information on the 2023-24 Revitalisation of the National Competition Policy please visit Revitalising National Competition Policy | Treasury

Welcome to the National Competition Policy (1995-2005) Website

This site contains documents on the development, content and implementation of the National Competition Policy from 1995-2005, including:

• the report of the independent Committee of Inquiry into a National Competition Policy (known as the Hilmer Report)
• the National Competition Policy agreements
• the major reforms implemented under the National Competition Policy
• who implemented the National Competition Policy
• the National Competition Policy reform implementation assessments
• the National Competition Policy payments
• Australia's follow on reform program

The National Competition Policy was Australia’s landmark microeconomic reform program. A key principle of the program was that competitive markets will generally best serve the interests of consumers and the wider community.

The Council of Australian Governments — the peak intergovernmental forum in Australia — established and implemented the National Competition Policy following a report by the Independent (Hilmer) Committee on a National Competition Policy.

Spanning 1995-2005 the original National Competition Policy is widely recognised as having contributed significantly to Australia’s welfare.

Governments' progress with implementation was oversighted by the National Competition Council. The National Competition Council, a body responsible to all of Australia's governments, assessed reform progress in 1997, 1999 and then annually between 2001 and 2005. The National Competition Council also conducted supplementary and deferred assessments on particular issues.