Legal metrology priorities 2025–26

Date published:
13 October 2025

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Our priorities for managing Australia's legal measurement system in 2025–26. 

We regulate Australia’s measurement system

The National Measurement Institute (NMI) is responsible for Australia’s measurement system. We innovate and engage with partners, industry, government and the community to maintain Australia’s measurement system.

Our vision is trusted measurement, ensuring confidence in trade and regulatory processes.

We support confidence in Australia’s measurement system through audit, education and advice. Our work aims to ensure that:

  • measuring instruments are fit for purpose
  • measurements are made correctly
  • measurements used in trade are accurate.

We invest in our people and capability to deliver these aims.

We work with industry sectors and businesses that ask for specialist advice or support to meet their measurement regulatory responsibilities. These requests often inform our regulatory activities during the year and help us plan for later years. We are committed to delivering our programs in regional, remote and Indigenous communities across Australia.

To support this, NMI’s regulatory approach aligns with the 3 principles of the Australian Government’s Regulator Performance Guide. Our National Compliance Policy has more information about our approach.

Measuring instruments are fit for purpose

Measuring instruments used in trade provide accurate and reliable information under varying conditions.

Priority Performance measures
Assess and approve the design of measuring instruments used for trade. 70% of all pattern approval certificates are issued within 90 days of receiving an application using the ‘stop the clock’ methodology.
Inspect recently verified instruments across various industries to ensure they have been tested correctly. Instrument compliance levels increase following NMI intervention.

Ensure verifiers have the knowledge and skills to verify many types of measuring instruments.

Administer and monitor the servicing licensee framework to support the integrity of verification work.

Verifier assessments are completed within 90 days of receipt.

90% of reported licensing non-compliances are actioned in accordance with our procedures as follows:*

  • minor non-compliance – within 10 days of being reported to licensing
  • significant non-compliance – within 30 days of being reported to licensing
  • substantial non-compliance – within 90 days of being reported to licensing.
Test high-capacity instruments as part of the Complex Measuring Instrument Program. Instrument compliance levels increase following NMI intervention.

*Minor non-compliance has a lower risk of harm to the public. Significant and substantial non-compliance have a higher risk of harm as they are more severe and possibly systemic and so take longer to consider and resolve.

Measurements are made correctly

Our work aims to build confidence in the measurement results through a robust system.

Priorities Performance measures
Provide calibration services for trade measurement inspectors, servicing licensees, verifiers, other regulators and manufacturers to ensure reference-standard equipment is accurate and traceable to Australian primary standards of measurement. 90% of reference standards of measurement are calibrated within 21 days in laboratories accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA).
Ensure businesses are aware of their obligations under the measurement law. Whenever possible, work cooperatively with businesses to promote good measurement practice and reduce the risk of non-compliance.

Hold formal stakeholder engagement sessions.

Trader compliance levels increase following NMI visits.
Promote good measurement practice by providing measurement training services to weighbridge operators, government agencies and other enterprises involved in commercial measurement.

Deliver training courses.

Maintain registered training organisation compliance to support the delivery of quality training.
Provide administrative and monitoring functions to support the effective appointment of third parties to perform regulatory functions.

95% of authorised third-party applications are resolved within 90 days of receipt.

95% of licences are issued within 28 days of receiving an application using the ‘stop the clock’ methodology (servicing or public weighbridge licence).
Participate in international forums to promote the global coordination of the legal metrology procedures underpin and facilitate international trade, and to increase harmonisation of Australia’s legal metrology requirements with international standards and best practice. Complete 90% of required International Organization of Legal Metrology Participant (OIML-P) member activities.
Collaborate with Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum (APLMF) member economies to report the outcomes of the International prepackaged frozen seafood program. Present program outcomes to APLMF member economies at the November 2025 meeting.

Measurements used in trade are accurate

Consumers and businesses get the amount that they have paid for.

Priorities Performance measures
Deliver the 2025–26 suite of NMI’s national compliance programs. Industry compliance levels increase following NMI intervention. 
Provide an easily accessible way for complaints and enquiries to be made, and act according to our service standards.

Acknowledge trade measurement complaints within 5 business days.

Acknowledge enquiries within 5 business days and aim to resolve the enquiry within 3 weeks.

Monitor and reinforce compliance of previously targeted industries:

  • licensed premises
  • retail fuel.
 Industry compliance levels are stable or increase when compared to previous NMI interventions.
Regulatory responses are timely, consistent, proportionate and transparent, and focus on changing non-compliant behaviour.  

Infringement notices are issued within 34 days of referral for decision

Warning letters are issued within 43 days of referral for decision

Follow-up audits are completed within:

  • 60 days for non-compliance likely to cause harm
  • 120 days for minor non-compliance or no likely harm.

We have the people and capabilities to deliver

We invest in skilled personnel and effective frameworks to meet regulatory and operational goals. We are developing enhancements to digital business systems to improve the staff and customer experience.

Priorities Performance measures
Be an employer of choice and provide a safe, diverse, and flexible workplace environment. Achieve Australian Public Service (APS) Census results that meet or exceed the APS averages for indicators related to the workplace environment.
Skills and abilities of all our people are fit for purpose through skills assessment, training and professional development. Achieve APS Census results that meet or exceed the APS averages for indicators related to knowledge and learning.
Maintain laboratory quality systems to NATA standards. Maintain compliance as an outcome of NATA technical and observational assessments.

Continue reforming Australia’s measurement legislation. We are modernising outdated and prescriptive legislation while balancing the needs of government, industry and the community.

Transition our procedures and processes to effectively administer the new measurement legislation.

 All legislative transition plans have commenced and are tracking on schedule.

National compliance programs for 2025–26

We take a risk-based approach when we plan our compliance programs. We combine market intelligence, stakeholder feedback, and compliance history. Our programs may include requests from industry for specialist advice or support to meet their measurement regulatory responsibilities.

The 2025–26 compliance targets are informed by:

  • government priorities
  • stakeholder feedback
  • engagement with industry peak bodies
  • industry and business risk assessments
  • individual compliance reports
  • feedback from trade measurement inspectors
  • industry reports.

The table below lists our compliance programs for 2025–26. It includes pilot programs, concentrated audits, memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and annual programs that run for the entire year. These programs guide our trade measurement inspectors when planning their activities.

Table: Program activities for 2025–26
Program or industry Focus Type of program Reason
Over the counter retail transactions

Inspections of traders across a broad range of industries including:

  • fruit and vegetables
  • meat, fish and poultry
  • smallgoods and delis
  • international food retailers
 Annual

Higher likelihood of non-compliance in this sector

Changed practices as industries continue to transition away from single-use plastics
Licensed premises Audits of pubs, clubs and breweries  Concentrated audit, one week Monitor and reinforce compliance in previously targeted sectors
Retail fuel Audits of fuel retailers Concentrated audit, one week Monitor and reinforce compliance in previously targeted sectors
Marketplace monitoring

Monitoring retailers and wholesalers of:

  • landscape materials
  • solid fuels (firewood)
  • random sampling
 Annual Inform the industry risk profile
Measuring instruments

Inspections of measuring instruments including:

  • weighbridges
  • vehicle-mounted flow meters
  • LPG dispensers
  • class 1 weighing instruments
 Annual

Higher likelihood of non-compliance in this sector

These industries use measuring instruments to trade high-volume or high-value commodities
Electric vehicle charging stations Education and engagement Pilot 1–3 years Implement an in-service testing framework for electric vehicle charging stations
Utility meters – Electricity sub metering Education and engagement Pilot 1–2 years

Increase in sub-leasing arrangements

Determine the need for future compliance programs
Servicing licensee

Audit of servicing licensees and the measuring instruments they verify, including:

  • audit recently verified measuring instruments
  • audit public weighbridges
  • audit servicing licensee
 Annual Ensure integrity of licensing framework
Tobacco products requirements Education and engagement MOU

Inform the retail industry of the changes to the tobacco laws

Deliver on the Public Health (Tobacco) program
Fuel quality Check and sample suppliers of fuel products, petrol, diesel, specialty fuels for quality at 730 sites MOU Deliver on the Fuel Quality Standards program

More information

Learn more about the National Measurement Institute