Sal Petroccitto has announced his resignation as CEO of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), which will take effect on 24 January 2025.
Petroccitto, who has worked in the position for more than a decade, informed the NHVR board of his decision to step down last month.
NHVR Chair, Duncan Gay, heavily praised Petroccitto’s tenure in the role.
“On behalf of the NHVR Board, staff and the road transport industry, I want to share my sincere thanks to Sal for his outstanding dedication and passion in championing better outcomes for the safety and livelihood of the heavy vehicle industry and all road users,” he said.
“Sal has worked tirelessly to build industry trust and respect to ensure the modern regulatory approach being implemented by the NHVR will achieve genuine and tangible national safety and productivity reform.
“Under Sal’s leadership, we are now seeing consistent enforcement and education outcomes paving the way for more on-road consistency. This includes leaving a legacy of achieving genuine safety behavioural change and improved culture through the establishment of an ‘inform, educate and enforce’ approach to compliance.
“I know Sal will be greatly missed by his industry and his staff.”
An extensive recruitment process will commence in the coming weeks to appoint a new CEO to the NHVR.
Australian Trucking Association Chair Mark Parry said that Petroccitto had joined the regulator in May 2014 at a time of crisis.
“The NHVR started full operations in February 2014, but rapidly accumulated a backlog of thousands of road access permit applications. These permits are essential for businesses that transport oversize and overmass loads,” Parry said in a statement.
“Sal dealt with the backlog and transformed the NHVR’s customer service capability. Just weeks ago, the Customer Service Institute of Australia named Sal as the Customer Service Executive of the Year.
“Other government service providers and regulators could learn from Sal’s success.”
In other news the NHVR just announced the Defence Assistance to the Civil Community (DACC) Notice which provides ‘as of right’ access to eligible ADF vehicles into communities, which removes the need for permits and delivers greater efficiencies.