Changes to accreditation

The Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (HVA) scheme introduces a new tiered accreditation framework comprising General Safety Accreditation (GSA) and Alternative Compliance Accreditation (ACA).

Under NHVAS, operators are audited against systems that manage risks within specific selected modules, namely Mass, Maintenance and Fatigue. In contrast, the HVA scheme requires operators to be audited against a whole-of-business SMS. This means that all safety-related transport activities will be audited, including elements of Maintenance, Mass and Fatigue Management (regardless of which alternative compliance accreditation an operator may select).

What are the main changes

The HVA scheme introduces a new tiered accreditation framework comprising General Safety Accreditation (GSA) and Alternative Compliance Accreditation (ACA).

Successful completion of the SMS audit will provide the basis for GSA. The SMS audit will be based on the ministerially approved Safety Management Standard 2026, which has five broad categories:

Leadership and Commitment
Risk Management
People
Assurance, Monitoring and Improvement
Safety Systems.

GSA is a prerequisite for accessing Alternative Compliance Accreditation (ACA) for Mass and Fatigue; however, GSA alone does not provide regulatory concessions. To access ACA, operators must meet and be audited against additional specific alternative compliance requirements, beyond the baseline GSA included in the schedules.

Maintenance accreditation will remain, whereby operators with Maintenance accreditation will be exempt from annual vehicle exemptions in applicable states only. Access to Maintenance will be provided through obtaining GSA and meeting additional maintenance-related requirements (similar to ACA).

What it means for Mass, Maintenance and Fatigue

For operators currently holding Mass Management accreditation

Changes to the Mass Dimension Loading Regulations will increase General Mass Limits (GML) to align with Concessional Mass Limits (CML). As a result, accreditation will no longer be required to access CML weights.

However, operators that require Mass Management accreditation to access additional alternative compliance through notices and other schemes (i.e. Higher Mass Limits and Performance Based Standards) will continue to require Alternative Compliance Accreditation - Mass.

List of notices and permit-based schemes that require Alternative Compliance Accreditation - Mass.

For operators currently holding Maintenance Management accreditation

Alternative Maintenance accreditation will remain, whereby operators with Maintenance accreditation will be exempt from annual vehicle exemptions in applicable states only. Access to Maintenance will be provided through obtaining GSA and meeting additional maintenance related requirements (similar to an ACA).

For operators currently accredited under Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) or Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM)

The Fatigue Management framework will transition to a single, performance-based fatigue accreditation model. This change allows operators the ability to select work and rest hours that suit their business operations within outer limits.

Templated tables of hours will be available for operators, which will streamline the application process. This includes BFM equivalent and common AFM work and rest hours.

Templated work and rest hours have been based on schedules that have been used successfully by industry. Because they are tried and tested, they provide operators with safe and reliable pathways to achieving Alternative Compliance Accreditation - Fatigue, reducing the time and effort required for operators to develop bespoke schedules.

Overview of schemes
Module	Current NHVAS - alternative compliance	New HVA Scheme - alternative compliance
General Safety Accreditation (GSA)	Not applicable.	GSA is a whole-of-business SMS audit. GSA is required to access Alternative Compliance Accreditation (ACA).
Mass	Access to Concessional Mass Limits (CML) through accreditation. Accreditation is required for certain notices and schemes (e.g. Higher Mass Limits (HML) and Performance Based Standards (PBS)).	General Mass Limits (GML) will be increased to align to CML weights through changes to the Mass, Dimension, and Loading Regulations. Accreditation is no longer required to access CML weights. Alternative Compliance Accreditation – Mass is required only for certain notices and schemes, including HML and PBS.
Maintenance	Exemptions from annual vehicle inspections as part of registration (Applies in QLD and NSW only).	No change. Continues to provide exemptions from annual vehicle inspections (in applicable states and territories only).
Fatigue	Basic Fatigue Management (BFM) Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM)	Performance-based fatigue accreditation model (Alternative Compliance Accreditation - Fatigue). Operators can select work and rest hours that suit their operations within outer limits. Templated tables of hours available to streamline applications: BFM equivalent and common AFM work and rest hours. Templates to reduce the time required for operators to prepare fatigue schedules that meet safety expectations. Risk-assessed using the existing Risk Classification System (RCS) Matrix. Alternative Compliance Accreditation - Fatigue follows a similar approach to AFM, allowing alternative hours where increased risk is appropriately identified and controlled The RCS matrix determines the relative risk of work and rest hour schedules.