{"id":"F2026L00234","name":"National Measurement Guidelines 2026","slug":"national-measurement-guidelines-2026","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":443181,"registerId":"F2026L00234-fast-fetch-1775958088031","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"National Measurement Guidelines 2026","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nNational Measurement Guidelines 2026\n\nI, Dr Victoria Anne Coleman, Chief Metrologist, National Measurement Institute, make these Guidelines.\n\nDated  9 March 2026 \n\n \n\nDr Victoria Anne Coleman\n\nChief Metrologist\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1  Name\n\n2  Commencement\n\n3  Authority\n\n4  Schedules\n\n5  Definitions\n\n6  Objects\n\n7  Physical quantities\n\n8  Combining Australian legal units of measurement\n\n9  Combining Australian legal unit of measurement and prescribed SI prefix\n\n10  Australian legal units of measurement that must not be combined with prefixes\n\n11  Australian legal units of measurement that may only be combined with prefixes that form multiples of the unit\n\n12  Expression of Australian legal units of measurement\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\n1  The whole of the instrument\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the National Measurement Guidelines 2026.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n1.     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\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 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The day after this instrument is registered.\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made.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\n1.     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\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under section 7B of the National Measurement Act 1960.\n\n4  Schedules\n\n  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.\n\n5  Definitions\n\n  In these Guidelines:\n\nAct means the National Measurement Act 1960.\n\nProduct Symbol means a symbol used to indicate the product of 2 or more Australian legal units of measurement.\n\nRegulations mean the National Measurement Regulations 1999.\n\nSI Prefix means a prefix mentioned in Schedule 3 of the Regulations.\n\n6  Objects\n\n  These Guidelines govern the way in which Australian legal units of measurement may be combined:\n\n   (a)  to produce an Australian legal unit of measurement; and\n\n   (b)  with prefixes to produce Australian legal units of measurement.\n\n7  Physical quantities\n\nAustralian legal units of measurement may be formed only for the physical quantities as prescribed under the Regulations.\n\n8  Combining Australian legal units of measurement\n\n1.         An Australian legal unit of measurement for a physical quantity may be formed by combining Australian legal units of measurement according to the mathematical relations linking the corresponding physical quantities.\n2.         The resulting Australian legal unit of measurement may be represented by using a name or symbol that is itself formed from derived units.\n\n\n   Example   pascal (pressure in newtons per square metre): Pa = N/m2.\n\n9  Combining Australian legal unit of measurement and prescribed SI prefix\n\n1.          A decimal multiple, or submultiple, of an Australian legal unit of measurement must be formed by using a single SI Prefix.\n\n\n  Example   Nanometre: 1 nm or 1 x 10-9 m, but not 1 mµm.\n\n1.          Subsection 9(1) of these Guidelines does not apply to kilogram.\n\n\n   Example   10-6 kg or 1 mg, but not μkg.\n\n   Note   Kilogram is an SI base unit of measurement: see Regulations, Sch 1, item 1.1.\n\n1.          An additional derived unit of measurement, mentioned in Part 4 of Schedule 1 to the Regulations, may be combined with another Australian legal unit of measurement to form an Australian legal unit of measurement.\n\n\n   Note   An exponent associated with a symbol for an Australian legal unit of measurement indicates that the multiple, or submultiple, of the unit is raised to the power expressed by the exponent.\n\n1.          The combination of the unit and a prefix may be combined with other Australian legal unit of measurement symbols to form the symbol for a compound unit that is an Australian legal unit of measurement.\n\n\n   Example   Speed in kilometres per hour: km/h.\n\n10  Australian legal units of measurement that must not be combined with prefixes\n\n1.          The following Australian legal units of measurement must not be combined with SI prefixes:\n\n\n-          kilogram\n-          minute\n-          hour\n-          day\n-          decibel\n-          inch\n-          foot\n-          hectare\n-          ounce\n-          foot/minute\n-          degree\n-          minute\n-          second of arc\n-          radian\n-          steradian\n-          degree Celsius\n\n\n1.          A decimal multiple or sub-multiple of kilogram must be formed by attaching a prefix to gram.\n\n\n   Note   For historical reasons, kilogram already contains a prefix.\n\n11  Australian legal units of measurement that may only be combined with prefixes that form multiples of the unit\n\nTonne may be combined only with an SI Prefix that gives a decimal multiple of tonne.\n\nExample   kilotonne, but not millitonne.\n\n12  Expression of Australian legal units of measurement\n\n1.            Names and symbols of Australian legal units of measurement must not be used together in the same expression.\n\n\n   Example   km/h, but not kilometre/h.\n\n1.            An adjective or sign must not be added to the name or symbol of an Australian legal unit of measurement.\n\n\n   Example   Wa cannot be used as the unit of acoustic power.\n\n1.            The symbol for an SI Prefix must be placed immediately before the symbol of the Australian legal unit of measurement to which it refers, without an intermediate space.\n\n\n   Examples\n\n   1   milliwatt: mW\n\n   2   kilometre: km\n\n   3   gigatonne: Gt\n\n   4   megajoule: MJ\n\n1.          For a decimal multiple or submultiple of an Australian unit of measurement that is expressed as a fraction, an SI prefix:\n  1.       may precede the Australian legal unit of measurement in the numerator or the denominator, or both if there is no other way to form an unambiguous expression; and\n  2.       should precede the Australian legal unit of measurement in the numerator.\n\n\n  Examples\n\n   1   km/s, but not mm/s or m/ms\n\n   2   mm/s, but not m/ks\n\n1.            Only a single SI Prefix may be used to form a multiple of a derived Australian legal unit of measurement.\n2.             The product symbol is:\n  1.        a dot (·);\n  2.        if the resulting expression is unambiguous — a full stop (.); or\n  3.        if the symbol for an Australian legal unit of measurement is not the same as an SI prefix — a space.\n\n\n  Example   Thermal resistivity (metre kelvin per watt): m·K/W, not m K/W which may be confused with millikelvin per watt (mK/W).\n\n1.            The product symbol must be used only with symbols that represent Australian legal units of measurement.\n\n\n   Example   N·m or N m, but not Newton·metre\n\n1.            An Australian legal unit of measurement derived from the division of 2 other Australian legal units of measurement may be expressed using an oblique stroke (/), a horizontal line or a negative exponent to produce an unambiguous expression.\n\n\n   ![Example start formula m divided by s end formula, start formula start fraction m over s end fraction end formula, or start formula m times s superscript minus 1 end formula](image.002.png)  \n\n1.            The oblique stroke must not be repeated on a line unless ambiguity is avoided by the use of parentheses.  In a complex expression, negative exponents or parentheses must be used.\n\n\n   ![Example 1 start formula m divided by s superscript 2 end formula, start formula start fraction m over s superscript 2 end fraction end formula, or start formula m times s superscript minus 2 end formula, but not start formula m divided by s divided by s end formula\n\nExample 2 start formula m times kg divided by open brackets s superscript 3 times A close brackets end formula, or start formula m times kg times s superscript minus 3 times A superscript minus 1 end formula, but not m times kg divided by s superscript 3 divided by A end formula.](image.003.png)\n\n1.        A space must be left after the numerical value of an Australian legal unit of measurement and before the name or symbol of the unit of measurement.\n\n\n   Examples\n\n   1   22 m, but not 22m\n\n   2   27 volts, but not 27volts\n\n   3   15 °C, but not 15°C\n\n  Note 1   When expressing temperature in degrees Celsius, a space must not be left between the symbol for degrees and the symbol for Celsius.  See example 3.\n\n1.        However, subsection 12(10) of these Guidelines does not apply when expressing the numerical values and the symbols for degrees, minutes and seconds of:\n  1.       geographic coordinates; or\n\n\n   Example   33°43'03.0\"S 151°09'37.1\"E\n\n1.       plane angles\n\n\n  Example   45°, not 45 °\n\n\n\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\n \n\nNational Measurement Guidelines 2016\n\n1  The whole of the instrument\n\nRepeal the instrument.\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation maintains its original scope as a technical instrument governing the symbolic and grammatical rules for combining Australian legal units of measurement. It replaces the 2016 version but does not expand beyond its original purpose of setting formatting, prefix, and combination rules for measurement units."},"complexity_factors":["Moderate cross-referencing to the National Measurement Act 1960 and National Measurement Regulations 1999 (particularly Schedule 3 for SI prefixes and Schedule 1 for base units)","Multiple nested exceptions and special cases (e.g., kilogram treated differently from other units in sections 9 and 10, geographic coordinates exempted from spacing rules in section 12)","Technical mathematical notation requirements (exponents, product symbols, oblique strokes, negative exponents)","Precise formatting rules with specific examples (12 subsections in section 12 alone, many with multiple paragraphs)","Defined terms section with 4 specific definitions that gatekeep understanding of later provisions","Conditional logic throughout ('must not', 'may only', 'should', 'if...then' constructions)"],"plain_english_summary":"This document sets out the **National Measurement Guidelines 2026**, which are technical rules about how Australians must write and combine units of measurement (like metres, kilograms, seconds) in legal and commercial contexts.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Replaces the 2016 Guidelines** (Schedule 1 repeals the old version entirely).\n- **Governs how units can be combined** — for example, how to write \"kilometres per hour\" (km/h) or \"newton-metres\" (N·m) correctly.\n- **Controls the use of metric prefixes** — those little letters like 'k' for kilo (thousand) or 'm' for milli (thousandth). It specifies which units can take prefixes and which cannot.\n- **Sets formatting rules** — such as leaving a space between numbers and units (\"22 m\" not \"22m\"), and using dots or spaces for multiplied units.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Scientists, engineers, manufacturers, and traders who need to use legally recognised measurements.\n- Anyone writing technical specifications, product labels, or compliance documents that reference Australian legal units.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nMeasurement consistency is crucial for trade, safety, and international compatibility. These rules ensure that when someone writes \"km/h\" or \"mg\", everyone understands exactly what is meant — preventing costly errors in everything from drug dosages to international shipping.\n\n**Key practical rules include:**\n- **Don't mix names and symbols** — write \"km/h\", not \"kilometre/h\".\n- **One prefix at a time** — \"nanometre\" (nm) is fine, but \"millimicrometre\" (mµm) is banned.\n- **Special case for kilogram** — because it already has a prefix built in, you write \"milligram\" (mg) for small masses, not \"microkilogram\".\n- **No prefixes allowed** on certain units like minutes, hours, degrees Celsius, decibels, and imperial holdovers like inches and ounces.\n- **Tonne is special** — you can have \"kilotonne\" but not \"millitonne\" (because a millitonne would just be a kilogram)."},"summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Consolidates and updates the rules for forming and expressing Australian legal units of measurement, replacing the 2016 guidelines without altering underlying measurement standards."},"complexity_factors":["Highly technical subject matter involving metrology and SI units","Detailed prescriptive rules for combining units and prefixes","Repeals and replaces previous guidelines"],"plain_english_summary":"The National Measurement Guidelines 2026 set the official Australian rules for forming, combining, prefixing and expressing legal units of measurement. Made by the Chief Metrologist under the National Measurement Act, they replace the 2016 guidelines and took effect on registration.\n\nThey apply to anyone drafting, enforcing or relying on legal, commercial or technical measurements (regulators, drafters, engineers, scientists) to ensure quantities are unambiguous, consistent with metric practice, and legally valid."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Schedule 1 repeals the National Measurement Guidelines 2016 in full, replacing that earlier instrument (Sch 1). The 2026 Guidelines continue to govern how Australian legal units may be combined and prefixed (see s.6–7) but do so under the new text and the specific exceptions and formatting rules set out in ss.8–12."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple explicit exceptions and special cases (see s.10 list; s.9(2) kilogram exception; s.11 tonne restriction).","Detailed formatting and notation rules with narrow syntactic constraints (see s.12: spacing, product symbol, fraction and exponent rules).","Cross‑references to other instruments and schedules (Regulations, Sch 1 and Sch 3) create dependence on external texts (see Definitions and notes).","Precision required to avoid ambiguity in compound units (rules about single SI prefix, placement in numerator/denominator, and use of parentheses in s.12).","Repeal and replacement mechanics (full repeal of 2016 Guidelines in Schedule 1) meaning implementers must migrate to the new text."],"plain_english_summary":"These Guidelines set rules for combining Australian legal units and for using SI prefixes, and prescribe notation, spacing and product-symbol conventions. They are made by the Chief Metrologist under the National Measurement Act and repeal the 2016 Guidelines (see s.3, Sch 1).\n\nAnyone who produces legal measurements, labels, specifications or technical documents must follow these presentation and prefix rules (see ss.8–12). Compliance may require template changes and creates interpretation risk where exceptions apply (for example, kilogram, time units, degree Celsius)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/national-measurement-guidelines-2026","history":"/api/acts/national-measurement-guidelines-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/national-measurement-guidelines-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/national-measurement-guidelines-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/national-measurement-guidelines-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/national-measurement-guidelines-2026/documents"}}