Change is coming to heavy vehicle legislation across Australia. Slowly but surely, and with hundreds of pages of documentation along the way. Whether you’re looking for a refresher or for an accessible entry-point, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for all the big bits of the new law, kept in as simple English as we can.
Background and timeline
The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) looks to keep people, environments, and infrastructure safe, while increasing productivity, efficiency, and innovation. In this industry, which Safe Work Australia statistics show to be one of the deadliest, safety couldn’t be more important. But in the review of the current HVNL, ministers found the law asleep at the wheel in multiple respects.
According to the National Transport Commission (NTC)—the organisational body in charge of the HVNL—the current law was a big leap in its heyday, improving road safety and streamlining the national heavy vehicle (HV) system. But it was also very complicated, prescriptive, and rigid when faced with all the real world’s complexities.