Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL)
HVNL Regulations
- Heavy Vehicle (Fatigue Management) National Regulation | PDF 633KB
- Heavy Vehicle (General) National Regulation | PDF 639KB
- Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation | PDF 2.5MB
- Heavy Vehicle (Registration) National Regulation | PDF 278KB
- Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation | PDF 1.4MB
Background
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) administers one set of laws (the HVNL) for heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass. The HVNL consists of the Heavy Vehicle National Law* and five sets of regulations.
The HVNL commenced on 10 February 2014 in the Australian Capital Territory**, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. Each of them passed a law that either adopts or duplicates the HVNL (with some modifications) as a law of that State or Territory.
Although the HVNL has not commenced in Western Australia or the Northern Territory at this time, the HVNL applies equally to vehicles from those jurisdictions when they cross into one of the states or territories where the HVNL applies. In some cases, drivers may also need to comply with certain aspects of the HVNL before they cross the border (eg. work diary requirements).
*The HVNL is the schedule to the Heavy Vehicle National Law Act 2012 (Qld).
**Chapters 6, 7 and 8 of the HVNL (Driver Fatigue, Intelligent Access Program and Accreditation) do not apply in the ACT.
Major legislative changes commenced 1 October 2018
This document introduces judicial officers and legal practitioners to the components of the HVNL, its jurisdictional operation, key concepts, and available penalty orders.
Amendments that commenced on 1 October 2018 reformulate the CoR obligations on a party as an overarching and positive duty of care, consistent with the duty of care approach adopted in other safety laws, such as the Model Work Health and Safety Act.
Upcoming changes to the HVNL
In this section we will publish changes to the HVNL which have not yet come into effect.
- Steer Axle Mass Limits for Road Trains (PDF, 409KB)
- Mass Limits for Eligible 3-axle Buses under the HVNL (PDF, 244KB)
- 4.6m High Specified Semitrailer Information Sheet (PDF, 385KB)
Application laws of the states and territories
Each state and territory covered by the HVNL has passed legislation that modifies some aspects of the HVNL for that state or territory.
FAQs
Does the HVNL apply to heavy vehicle transport activities on private roads?
In some cases, yes.
However, the NHVR’s role as a national coordinator for access management doesn't extend to negotiating access to private roads that aren’t accessible to the public, such as those on mining sites. Under the HVNL, private road managers remain responsible for managing access to their own properties.
Under the HVNL, are there requirements for drivers regarding compliance with third party insurance legislation?
No. Such requirements will only apply when the NHVR begins administering a national heavy vehicle registration system.
You should check with your state or territory road transport authority for requirements that apply.
Who do I talk to about a ticket I received?
State and territory road and transport authorities and police services are still responsible for managing infringement/expiation notices under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). Contact details for the relevant authority should be printed on the back of the infringement notice itself.
Will the NHVR be publishing a list of states and territory HVNL derogations?
Any derogation to the HVNL is the responsibility of each state and territory and therefore should be published either on the relevant state/territory’s website or their parliamentary counsel’s website. These derogations are being continually reviewed and advice on their harmonisation will be provided progressively.