Frequently asked questions

What is COAG?

Australia is a federation consisting of a Commonwealth Government and eight State and Territory governments. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) is the peak intergovernmental forum in Australia, comprising the Prime Minister (the Chair) State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA).

The then Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers agreed to establish COAG in May 1992. It first met in December 1992.

COAG is supported by the COAG Secretariat, which is located within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The role of COAG is to initiate, develop and monitor the implementation of policy reforms that are of national significance and which require cooperative action by Australian governments.

How often does COAG meet?

COAG meets on an as needed basis. COAG met twice in 2011 (13 February and 19 August). In 2010, COAG met once (19 April) and in 2009, COAG met four times (5 February, 30 April, 2 July and 7 December). COAG may also settle particular issues out-of-session by correspondence. For more information, visit the COAG website.

When was the COAG Reform Council established?

At its meeting on 14 July 2006, COAG agreed that the council would be independent, and would comprise up to six members: a Chairman appointed by the Commonwealth; a Deputy Chairman appointed by the States and Territories; and four members to be agreed by COAG, with at least one member having regional and remote experience. Council members were first appointed on 13 April 2007. For more information, visit the About us and Members pages.

When are COAG Reform Council reports publicly released?

The COAG Reform Council publicly releases its reports around one month after they have been submitted to COAG. However, where a report is scheduled to be publicly released during a Commonwealth, State or Territory caretaker period, the council will, wherever possible, bring forward its report release to avoid the commencement of the caretaker period. If this is not possible, the report release will be delayed until after the caretaker period. For a complete list of the latest reporting timeframes, visit the Timeframes page.

Where can I find COAG's responses to your reports?

For a list of the timeframes and outcomes associated with COAG Reform Council reports released to date, visit the Timeframes page.

What is the Intergovernmental Agreement of Federal Financial Relations?

The guiding framework for the COAG reform agenda is the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations (IGA).

The IGA commenced on 1 January 2009. The IGA provides the overarching framework for the Commonwealth‘s financial relations with the States and Territories. It establishes a foundation for governments to collaborate on policy development and service delivery, and to facilitate the implementation of economic and social reforms. All policy and financial relations between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories are now governed under the provisions of the IGA.

To support improved collaborative working arrangements, the IGA establishes two new forms of agreements between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories—National Agreements and National Partnership Agreements.

In agreeing to the IGA, COAG committed to enhanced accountability through simpler, standardised and more transparent performance reporting by all jurisdictions, and a focus on the achievement of outcomes, efficient service delivery and timely public reporting.

The IGA gives the council significant responsibilities for assessment and reporting on the performance of governments under National Agreements and National Partnership Agreements.

What is a National Agreement?

National Agreements establish the policy objectives in key service sectors. The six National Agreements are:

• National Healthcare Agreement
• National Education Agreement
• National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development
• National Disability Agreement
• National Affordable Housing Agreement
• National Indigenous Reform Agreement

The National Agreements set out the objectives, outcomes, outputs, performance indicators and—for all except the National Affordable Housing Agreement—performance benchmarks or targets which are mutually agreed between all jurisdictions. They also clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth and States and Territories in the delivery of services and the achievement of outcomes. Funding under National Agreements is reviewed at least every five years.

What is a National Partnership?

National Partnerships outline mutually agreed policy objectives, outputs and performance benchmarks which support the delivery of national reform. National Partnership payments support the delivery of specific projects, facilitate reforms, or reward States and Territories that deliver on nationally significant reforms.

The COAG Reform Council (the council) has two roles in relation to National Partnerships: reporting on National Partnerships with reward payments; and reporting on National Partnerships that contribute to the objectives of the National Agreements

In reporting on National Partnerships with reward payments, the council is responsible for independently assessing and publicly reporting the achievement of performance benchmarks before reward payments are made to States and Territories by the Commonwealth Government.

The council also reports on National Partnerships that support the objectives of the National Agreements. As part of its National Agreement reports, the council must publish performance information and a comparative analysis of this information for National Partnerships to the extent that they support the objectives of National Agreements.

Currently, there are around 24 National Partnerships which support the objectives of the National Agreements, seven of which have reward payments associated with them:

• National Partnership on Hospital and Health Workforce Reform
• National Partnership on Health Services
• National Partnership on Health Infrastructure
• National Partnership on e-Health
• National Partnership on TAFE Fee Waiver for Childcare Places
• National Partnership on Low Socio-Economic Status School Communities
• National Partnership on Early Childhood Education
• National Partnership on National Quality Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care
• National Partnership on Productivity Places Program
• National Partnership on Social Housing
• National Partnership on Homelessness
• National Partnership on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes
• National Partnership on Remote Indigenous Housing
• National Partnership on Indigenous Economic Participation
• National Partnership on Remote Service Delivery
• National Partnership on Indigenous Early Childhood Development
• National Partnership on Remote Indigenous Public Internet Access

With reward payments:

• National Partnership on Preventative Health
• National Partnership on Elective Surgery Waiting List Reduction Plan
• National Partnership on Essential Vaccines
• National Partnership on Improving Teacher Quality
• National Partnership on Literacy and Numeracy
• National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions
• National Partnership to Deliver a Seamless National Economy

What is a Water Management Partnership?

Water Management Partnerships take the form of bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and the five Murray-Darling Basin States. These agreements provide for payments to the Basin States for implementation of specific projects and water reforms.