TheBentuk form of the Government ofkerajaan New South Wales isditetapkan prescribeddalam inPerlembagaan, its Constitution,yang whichbertarikh datesdari fromtahun 1856, althoughwalaupun itia hastelah beendipinda amendedbeberapa manykali timessejak since thenitu. SinceSejak [[1901]] New South Wales hastelah beenmenjadi a state of thenegeri [[Australia|Commonwealth ofKomanwel Australia]], and thedan [[AustralianPerlembagaan ConstitutionAustralia]] regulates its relationshipmengawal withhubungannya thedengan CommonwealthKomanwel.
Di bawah [[Perlembagaan Australia]], New South Wales menyerahkan kuasa perundangan dan kehakiman tertentu kepada Komanwel, tetapi kebebasan dikekalkan di semua bahagian lain. Perlembagaan New South Wales berkata: "Badan Perundangan itu hendaklah, tertakluk kepada peruntukan-peruntukan Akta Perlembagaan Komanwel Australia, mempunyai kuasa untuk membuat undang-undang bagi keamanan, kebajikan, dan kerajaan yang baik bagi New South Wales dalam semua kes jua." Dalam amalan, bagaimanapun, kebebasan negeri-negeri Australia telah banyak terhakis oleh penguasaan kewangan Komanwel yang semakin meningkat.
Under the [[Australian Constitution]], New South Wales ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained independence in all other areas. The New South Wales Constitution says: "The Legislature shall, subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, have power to make laws for the peace, welfare, and good government of New South Wales in all cases whatsoever." In practice, however, the independence of the Australian states has been greatly eroded by the increasing financial domination of the Commonwealth.{{Fact|date=October 2007}}
