From August onwards, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator will move towards building further consistency across the nation as NSW joins four other states and territories
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has taken steps to create seamless operations in South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and Victoria where most heavy vehicle services have transitioned.
In these states, we have increased the levels of resources, services and functions at no cost to industry. We’ve provided improved regulatory capability, and we’re now starting to see harmonised policies, procedures, and training of our staff.
The next major reform will take place with the transition of all heavy vehicle services from Transport for NSW to the NHVR from August 1. This is a significant milestone which will see the transition of services from one of the largest jurisdictions to the NHVR. They are also one of the jurisdictions that have been leading the way in terms of safety and enforcement.
As part of the transition in NSW, we will be undertaking the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) functions as well as delivering the heavy vehicle inspection services function for the NSW government.
What does the transition of services mean for industry?
A more consistent approach to compliance and enforcement is the most significant improvement for industry, particularly those drivers intercepted at the roadside.
The capability to deliver timely national responses to critical compliance issues will also be a significant advantage of the National Services Transition (NST).
Industry can rely on a single contact point for consistent, reliable information about the HVNL and issues facing drivers or businesses.
It is another important step towards the NHVR’s priority is to build a single, consistent national regulator for the heavy vehicle industry.
To achieve this, we continue to work closely with each level of government, industry, and agencies to ensure we have a safe, efficient and productive heavy vehicle industry serving the needs of Australia.
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National reform isn’t easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. However, what the last two years has shown is that national consistency must be our paramount goal. You can’t have individual rules or requirements for operators that need to travel across the country seamlessly.
The other key piece of work is the relationships we build with our existing and new partners. As you’re aware, there are two regulatory agencies that implement the HVNL in most states – the NHVR as the regulator and the police agencies.
We have been working closely with all police agencies to address any inconsistencies, and our relationship with police agencies across the country continues to grow as we work together and undertake this transition.
In the states where we have transitioned, we are delivering an ‘inform, educate, enforce’ approach. While we acknowledge this takes time, we also reserve our regulatory powers for those that consistently do the wrong thing, to ensure we maintain the highest safety outcomes.
We’re also using multiple data sources to ensure we identify high risk operators. Examples include crash data, data captured from our national camera network, information provided from industry, police and other state agencies. We are becoming data rich to ensure we can tailor our activities to the areas where we need to provide the most focus.
So, compliant operators and drivers shouldn’t see us, as we are focused on allowing industry to operate seamlessly and effectively in doing what they do well.
As we complete the full transition of services, we will continue to grow our data and resource capabilities which will allow us to become a truly risk-based regulator.
While the transition of services in NSW will be a significant step in the national reform process, it’s part of a greater goal for a safer, more productive and more efficient heavy vehicle industry.
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*SAL PETROCCITTO became NHVR CEO in 2014, bringing extensive knowledge of heavy vehicle policy, strategy and regulation to the role. He has broad experience across state and local government, having held senior leadership roles in transport and logistics, land use, transport and strategic planning, working closely with industry and stakeholders to deliver an efficient and effective transport system and improved supply chain outcomes.