During 2003, discussions were held between representatives of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), the Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine (CONROD) and the Australasian Trauma Society (ATS) to ascertain the possibility of establishing a National Trauma Registry Consortium in Australia and New Zealand (NTRC). From these discussions a national Steering Committee was formed to oversee the process of establishing the NTRC (Australia and New Zealand). In addition, it was decided to appoint a Project Officer to coordinate and facilitate the ongoing work of the NTRC. The NTRC was launched at the RACS Trauma Meetings held in Melbourne in November 2003.

The authority of the NTRC has its roots in the aims and objectives of the three entities which initially agreed to fund this initiative. The RACS Policy on Trauma (Injury) 1997 (updated 2003) acknowledges:

The College recognises the importance of quality improvement in the field of trauma management and will promote educational activities and audit processes for this purpose.

The overall responsibility for implementing this aim was at that time, and continues to be with the Systems Performance and Registries Committee, a sub committee of the RACS Committees on Trauma. Under the leadership of the current Chairperson of the Systems Sub Committee, Mr Cliff Pollard, RACS initiated the NTRC and contributed to its funding.

Similarly, CONROD recognises that part of its mission is to:

Achieve recognition…as a leader in research and education on all aspects of…management of disabling conditions with special emphasis on those of traumatic origin.

To this end CONROD agreed to house and fund the Secretariat for the Consortium in its offices located within the Herston campus of The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

In addition, the ATS aims to:
Promote and develop the highest standards of patient care, education and organisation in the field of trauma in order to deliver higher standards of community care.
Toward its commitment to improved trauma management the ATS agreed to contribute financially to the NTRC.

The NTRC continues to be funded by the above institutions and in 2005 the New South Wales Institute of Trauma and Injury Management (ITIM) also became a funding partner.