{"id":"F2022L01659","name":"Industry Research and Development (National Electric Vehicle Charging Network Grant Program) Instrument 2022","slug":"industry-research-and-development-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network-grant-program-instrumen","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":441659,"registerId":"F2022L01659-fast-fetch-1775956915526","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Industry Research and Development (National Electric Vehicle Charging Network Grant Program) Instrument 2022","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 22.10.0\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nIndustry Research and Development (National Electric Vehicle Charging Network Grant Program) Instrument 2022\n\nI, Chris Bowen, as delegate of the Minister for Industry and Science, make the following instrument.\n\nDated  14 December 2022  \n\nChris Bowen\n\nMinister for Climate Change and Energy\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Definitions\n\n5  Prescribed program\n\n6  Specified legislative power\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Industry Research and Development (National Electric Vehicle Charging Network Grant Program) Instrument 2022.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.\n\n4  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.\n\nKyoto Protocol means the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, done at Kyoto on 11 December 1997, as in force for Australia from time to time.\n\nNote:          The Protocol is in Australian Treaty Series 2008 No. 2 ([2008] ATS 2) and could in 2022 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).\n\nNRMA means the NRMA Electric Highways Pty Ltd (ABN 35 659 311 163).\n\nParis Agreement means the Paris Agreement, done at Paris on 12 December 2015, as in force for Australia from time to time.\n\nNote:          The Agreement is in Australian Treaty Series 2016 No. 24 ([2016] ATS 24) and could in 2022 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).\n\nprogram: see subsection 5(1).\n\nUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change means the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, done at New York on 9 May 1992, as in force for Australia from time to time.\n\nNote:          The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 1994 No. 2 ([1994] ATS 2) and could in 2022 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).\n\n5  Prescribed program\n\n (1) For the purposes of subsection 33(1) of the Act, the National Electric Vehicle Charging Network Grant Program (the program) is prescribed.\n\n (2) The program provides funding to the NRMA to deliver a national highway network of electric vehicle fast charging stations.\n\n (3) The purpose of the program is to:\n\n  (a) increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations in Australia; and\n\n  (b) encourage further uptake of electric vehicles in Australia.\n\n6  Specified legislative power\n\n  For the purposes of subsection 33(3) of the Act, the power of the Parliament to make laws with respect to external affairs (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxix) of the Constitution), as it relates to measures that would assist Australia to meet its obligations under one or more of the following, is specified:\n\n(a)    the Kyoto Protocol, particularly Article 10;\n\n(b)  the Paris Agreement, particularly Article 4;\n\n              (c)  the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, particularly Article 4.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument does not amend the Act or expand legislative powers; it prescribes a program under the existing authority of s.33 and specifies which international agreements are relevant to that authority. It therefore defines a particular funding program and legal justification but does not change the statutory scope of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986."},"complexity_factors":["Short, narrowly focused instrument with few provisions (limited statutory language).","Cross-reference to Industry Research and Development Act 1986 s.33 creates dependency on external statutory framework.","Specification of external affairs power via international treaties (Kyoto, Paris, UNFCCC) raises interpretive questions about legal basis.","Single named beneficiary (NRMA Electric Highways Pty Ltd) concentrates implementation and raises procurement/contract discretion.","Operational detail (funding amounts, conditions, eligibility, reporting, delivery timetable) is not specified—leaves administrative discretion to implementers.","Definitions limited to key terms; reliance on treaty texts as external references may require legal interpretation.","Simple commencement provision (day after registration) reduces temporal complexity."],"plain_english_summary":"Mechanically, this instrument—made under section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986—prescribes the National Electric Vehicle Charging Network Grant Program and authorises Commonwealth funding to NRMA Electric Highways Pty Ltd to deliver a national highway network of fast EV chargers. It takes effect the day after registration. Its stated purpose is to increase the number of charging stations and encourage EV uptake, and it links the program to Australia’s international obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument maintains a narrow, targeted scope consistent with its original purpose. It creates a specific, time-limited grant program under the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 for a single policy objective (EV highway charging infrastructure). There is no evidence of scope creep; the instrument does not expand the Act's application beyond this specific program or create broad new regulatory frameworks."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument: only 6 sections spanning approximately 2 pages","Minimal defined terms: only 7 definitions in section 4, most being straightforward references to treaties and the NRMA entity","No conditional logic or nested exceptions: the substantive provisions (sections 5-6) are declarative statements without 'if/then' structures","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the parent Act (Industry Research and Development Act 1986) and standard constitutional provisions","Single purpose instrument: creates one specific grant program with a single recipient (NRMA) and clear objectives","Straightforward constitutional basis: simply lists three international treaties as the external affairs power basis without complex analysis"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument creates a National Electric Vehicle Charging Network Grant Program that funds the NRMA to install fast EV chargers along major highways. It aims to reduce range anxiety, boost long-distance EV travel, and make EVs a more viable choice for drivers.\n\nLegally, the government routes the grant through the Industry Research and Development Act and relies on the external affairs power tied to international climate commitments to justify the measure."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network-grant-program-instrumen","history":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network-grant-program-instrumen/history","analysis":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network-grant-program-instrumen/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network-grant-program-instrumen/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network-grant-program-instrumen/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/industry-research-and-development-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network-grant-program-instrumen/documents"}}