The Heavy Vehicle National Law Amendment Bill has been passed by the Queensland Parliament, after being introduced on 26 August 2025.
The bill is a result of a review started in 2018 and is expected to come into force in mid-2026.
The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) is a national scheme hosted by Queensland and is designed to be used in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and the ACT.
It will be administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).
In its submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the proposed legislation, dated 16 September 2025, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) stated it was disappointed with the period of debate on the Bill, saying: “The trucking industry is disappointed with its extended length and the lack of ambition of its outcomes.”
The ATA did submit that, despite its misgivings, it recommended that the Queensland Parliament pass the bill with the hope that it will undergo regular review and upgrading under its legislative provisions.
In its submission, the ATA said that the review stalled up to February 2022 when the State Ministers appointed former NSW Roads and Maritime Services CEO, Ken Kanofski, to undertake stakeholder consultation and create a report.
In September 2022, ministers agreed to implement his recommendations, the ATA said.
The ATA said the HVNL review’s original terms of reference being a ‘first principles’ review of the proposed law, which led it to running extensive industry consultations, as well as a consultation campaign.
The campaign reached more than 188,000 people and received 119 pieces of constructive feedback via its SMS, email and Facebook platforms, the ATA submitted.
A follow-up campaign in 2020 by the ATA, focusing on potential changes to the fatigue laws, garnered 432 survey responses.
The ATA further submitted that the Kanofski report was a “compromise” and that since 2022, “the scope of the immediate changes has been narrowed”.
“The Queensland Parliament should note the trucking industry’s disappointment with the extended length of the Heavy Vehicle National Law review and the lack of ambition in its outcomes,” the ATA submitted.
In a submission, the ATA said the Bill makes some good changes, such as:
- Moving technical content to regulations or standards, to ensure the law can keep up with changing technology and the needs of the industry.
- Requiring businesses in NHVAS to have documented safety management systems.
- Simpler fatigue compliance and record keeping.
- Decreasing 21 penalties, including minor fatigue and work diary offences.
The ATA said it will make a further submission, following a detailed discussion at an ATA member council meeting this month.
Read the ATA submission here and read more about the ATA’s approach to trucking.
