Structure of an Australian Standard
The Governing Drafting Rules: SG-006
SG-006 specifies rules for the structure and drafting of Australian Standards and joint Australian/New Zealand Standards, Interim Standards and Technical Specifications where the secretariat is held by Standards Australia. It is the Australian equivalent of the ISO/IEC Directives Part 2, and both follow the same underlying logic.
Standard Document Architecture
A standard is divided into mandatory, conditional and optional elements. These are defined:
- Mandatory element: must be present in every document.
- Conditional element: present only when relevant to the particular standard.
- Optional element: the writer may choose to include it or not.
- Normative element: describes the scope or sets out provisions (i.e., requirements users must meet).
- Informative element: assists understanding but does not form part of the compliance requirements.
Section one shall comprise the normative general clauses Scope and Normative references and normative technical clauses, such as Terms and Definitions, which apply to the whole document.
The Typical Structure (Single-Section Document)
Directly from SG-006, the prescribed order of sections is:
| Title | Mandatory |
| Preface | Mandatory |
| Foreword | Optional / Conditional |
| Introduction | Optional / Conditional |
| Scope | Mandatory |
| Normative References | Mandatory |
| Terms and Definitions | Mandatory |
| Symbols and Abbreviated Terms | Conditional |
| Technical Content (requirements, test methods, etc.) | Mandatory / Conditional |
| Annexes | Conditional |
| Appendices | Optional |
| Bibliography | Conditional |
| Index | Optional |
What Each Section Contains
Title: the title is a normative and mandatory element. It shall not contain details that could imply an unintentional limitation of the scope and shall not contain background information this belongs in the Introduction.
Preface: the Preface shall not contain requirements, permissions or recommendations. It covers administrative matters like the committee responsible.
Scope: written as a series of statements of fact. Requirements, recommendations or permissions shall not be placed in the Scope. The scope is a normative and mandatory element.
Normative References: lists those documents cited in the text in such a way that some or all their content constitutes requirements of the document. The normative references clause is mandatory, even if it contains no normative references, and shall not be subdivided.
Terms and Definitions: only terms which are used in the document shall be defined. A definition is a single phrase that can replace the term wherever used it does not start with an article or end with a full stop, and does not take the form of, or contain, a requirement or recommendation.
Technical Content: the body of the standard, containing the actual requirements, test methods, performance criteria, and specifications. This is where the compliance rules live.
Annexes vs Appendices: Annexes are used in ISO and IEC documents and are included in adopted texts only. Australian-originated standards use Appendices instead, which can be either normative (mandatory) or informative (guidance only).
Bibliography: documents cited in an informative way (rather than as requirements) are listed in the bibliography, not in the normative references clause. The bibliography, if present, appears after the last Appendix. Indexes, if present, appear as the last element.
The Language of Requirements is A Critical Feature
One of the most precisely governed aspects is the verbal forms used, which directly determine whether a provision is mandatory or advisory:
| shall | mandatory — no deviation permitted | Requirement |
| should | recommended but not mandatory | Recommendation |
| may | permitted but not required | Permission |
| can | physically or technically possible | Capability/Possibility |
| must | external legal constraint (not a document requirement) | External constraint |
A requirement is an expression conveying objectively verifiable criteria to be fulfilled, from which no deviation is permitted if conformance with the document is to be claimed. Requirements are expressed using “shall”. Recommendations are expressed using “should”. The word “must” does not imply that the external constraint is a requirement of the document itself.
How Australian Standards Relate to ISO Standards
- Australian Standards have legal status only when they are referenced in legislation, mandatory codes of practice, or contract documents.
- Standards are either AS (Australian only), AS/NZS (joint Australian/New Zealand), or AS ISO / AS IEC (adoptions of international standards with or without Australian modifications).
- Not all Australian Standards are mandatory, but if an Australian Standard is referenced in the NCC, then compliance with it becomes mandatory.
The structure of Australian Standards closely mirrors ISO (same logical flow of Scope → References → Definitions → Requirements → Test Methods → Annexes), the adoption pathway is distinctly Australian. Standards Australia may adopt an ISO standard verbatim, adopt it with modifications, or write an entirely original AS that follows the same drafting rules.
