The Authority was part of a commitment made in November 2021 by the then-opposition Labor Party (and a further announcement by its leader Anthony Albanese in January 2022) to build a high-speed rail line from Sydney to Newcastle, and an eventual network from Melbourne to Brisbane.

The Authority is currently developing a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network, with $500 million allocated by the Australian Government for planning and corridor works.

As of October 2024, the business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section was expected to be provided to the Government by the end of 2024 along with a Product Definition Report[note 1] for the entire network,[1][3] of which the former has occurred.

Part of this commitment included an allocation of $500 million for planning, land purchases and early works, along with establishing a dedicated authority to deliver an eventual line from Melbourne to Brisbane.

[8][9] In contrast, The Australia Institute's Ebony Bennett said that it was a "smart announcement", adding that it would be popular "in areas [...] that stand to benefit a lot", including Newcastle.

[11][12] The Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the Authority would have an expert board and be tasked with overseeing "the construction and operation of a high-speed rail network along Australia's eastern seaboard" between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.

[20] As of 2024, the Board members are:[20] On 30 January 2024, it was announced that $78.8 million of funding would be released for the development of a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network.

[24][25] The successful tenderers were announced on 13 June 2024, with the contracts being awarded to the following companies:[26][27] Geotechnical investigations (starting with drilling of 27 boreholes along the Sydney to Newcastle corridor) commenced on 26 August 2024, ahead of an industry briefing the next day.

[33][34] The Authority's geology advisor David Och said that the area along the proposed route had a diverse range of landscapes (from "spectacular sandstone plateaus" to "deeply dissected valleys"), fault zones and igneous dikes, along with varying types of vegetation.