NSW Government Plain Language Content Review

The New South Wales Government requires its agencies to communicate in plain language. The NSW Government Communications Policy and the NSW Government Editorial Style Guide set out the standards that apply to all public-facing content produced by NSW Government agencies. These requirements exist because government communications must be accessible to all members of the community, regardless of literacy level, language background, or disability.

Beyond NSW-specific requirements, the Australian Government Style Manual provides the national standard for government writing. While primarily applicable to Commonwealth agencies, many state and territory agencies also reference it. Together, these frameworks establish clear expectations for how government content should be written, structured, and reviewed.

Why Plain Language Matters in Government

Government content is not optional reading. Citizens interact with government communications to access services, understand their rights and obligations, comply with regulations, and make decisions that affect their lives. When government content is unclear, the consequences are real:

• Citizens miss entitlements because they do not understand eligibility criteria
• Businesses fail to comply with regulations because requirements are buried in jargon
• Vulnerable populations are excluded from services because application processes are incomprehensible
• Government call centres and service desks are overwhelmed with enquiries that clear content would have prevented

Research consistently shows that plain language communications reduce enquiry volumes, improve compliance rates, increase service uptake, and build public trust in government institutions.

NSW Plain Language Standards

Core Principles

The NSW Government's plain language requirements are built on several core principles:

Readability Targets

NSW Government agencies typically target a Year 8 reading level (approximately age 13-14) for general public communications. This aligns with Australian adult literacy data showing that a significant proportion of the adult population reads at or below this level.

Readability metrics commonly used include:

• Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: Target Grade 8 or below
• Flesch Reading Ease: Target 60 or above (higher scores indicate easier reading)
• SMOG Index: Target Grade 8 or below

These are guidelines, not absolute rules. Some content, such as technical guidance for professionals, may necessarily use specialised terminology. But even technical content should be as clear as possible within its context.

Digital Content Standards

NSW Government websites follow the NSW Design System and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. Content standards for digital channels include:

• Front-loading: Key information and calls to action appear above the fold
• Scannable structure: Content uses headings (H2, H3), bullet points, and short paragraphs
• Link text: Meaningful link text ("Apply for a licence" not "Click here")
• Alt text: All images have descriptive alternative text
• Document accessibility: PDFs and downloadable documents meet accessibility standards

Common Plain Language Failures in Government Content

Bureaucratic Language

Government writers frequently default to language that is familiar internally but meaningless or confusing to the public:

• "Utilise" instead of "use"
• "Facilitate" instead of "help"
• "In accordance with" instead of "under" or "following"
• "Prior to" instead of "before"
• "With respect to" instead of "about"
• "Notwithstanding" instead of "despite" or "even though"

Nominalisation

Converting verbs into nouns makes sentences longer and harder to understand:

• "The implementation of the program" instead of "We implemented the program"
• "Give consideration to" instead of "Consider"
• "Make a determination" instead of "Decide"

Passive Voice

Passive voice obscures who is doing what:

• "Applications must be submitted by the due date" (passive) vs "Submit your application by [date]" (active)
• "The decision was made to discontinue the program" (passive) vs "We discontinued the program" (active)

Information Overload

Including every piece of information the agency knows rather than what the reader needs. Government content frequently tries to cover every scenario and exception, creating documents so comprehensive that they are impenetrable.

Building a Plain Language Review Process

Before Writing

• Identify the audience and their literacy level
• Define the purpose: what should the reader know or do after reading?
• Identify the key messages (ideally three or fewer)
• Choose the appropriate format for the content and audience

During Review

Evaluate content against these criteria:

• The purpose is clear within the first paragraph
• Sentence length averages 15-20 words
• Active voice is used throughout
• Technical terms are explained or replaced with plain alternatives
• Content is structured with descriptive headings
• Lists and tables are used to present complex information
• The reading level meets the target (Year 8 for general public)
• Calls to action are clear and specific
• Content is free of unnecessary jargon and bureaucratic language

After Publication

• Monitor user feedback and enquiry volumes related to the content
• Track completion rates for forms and applications linked to the content
• Review analytics for bounce rates and time on page
• Update content based on user behaviour data

How Content Review Tools Support Plain Language

Government agencies produce enormous volumes of public-facing content across websites, forms, letters, fact sheets, guidelines, consultation documents, and reports. Ensuring all of this content meets plain language standards requires systematic review at a scale that manual editing alone cannot sustain.

Content review platforms can assess readability scores against target levels, flag passive voice constructions, identify bureaucratic language and suggest plain alternatives, check sentence length against targets, verify that content structure meets digital accessibility standards, and assess whether key information is front-loaded. By configuring reviewers with government style guide requirements and uploading the NSW Editorial Style Guide into a knowledge base, agencies can review content consistently at scale.

This does not replace skilled government editors and communicators, but it provides a consistent baseline check that catches common plain language issues across the volume of content that government agencies produce. For agencies managing hundreds or thousands of content items, AI-assisted review is a practical tool for maintaining quality standards.

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This article provides general information about NSW Government plain language standards and is not official guidance. Always consult the NSW Government writing style guide and the Australian Government Style Manual for current requirements.