The Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 (the PALM Act) provides that the Authority consist of a Chair, a Chief Executive and three other members, all of whom are appointed by the Governor-General. The Chief Executive is a full-time officer, while other members of the Authority serve on a part-time basis.

The Authority is the accountable authority for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and is therefore responsible for the strategic leadership, management and performance of the NCA.

The Chief Executive has the responsibility of an Agency Head under the Public Service Act 1999 and manages the day-to-day affairs of the NCA.

The Authority held six regular meetings over the course of 2019-20. The Authority maintains minutes of these meetings and also prepares summary public records of each meeting, which are available on the NCA’s website.