The State Government Access Regime is designed to implement a framework that ensures effective, fair and transparent competition to achieve a net public benefit to the State.

To achieve the intended public benefit the Queensland Competition Authority Act 1997 (Qld) requires Queensland Rail Limited to comply with the Declaration and Access obligations imposed on it by the Queensland Competition Authority.

Queensland Rail Limited is "declared" under Part 5 of the Queensland Competition Authority Act 1997 (Qld). The declaration applies to the use of rail transport infrastructure for which Queensland Rail Limited is the Railway Manager and sets the scope of regulated third party access to infrastructure.

The Access Undertaking provides a framework for Access Seekers to negotiate access to Queensland Rail Limited infrastructure and includes details on:

• the framework for negotiating access;
• pricing principles;
• the utilisation of network capacity;
• reporting requirements;
• dispute resolution process; and
• Network Management Principles.

The QR Network Access Undertaking (2008) June 2010 is in force and was transferred to Queensland Rail through a Queensland Government Transfer Notice and applies in accordance with directions made in the Transfer Notice.

Queensland Rail is currently drafting a new Access Undertaking to replace the QR Network Access Undertaking upon its expiry at 30 June 2012.