The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) is calling for a nationally coordinated heavy vehicle reform package to boost productivity, decarbonisation and supply chain resilience.
As part of its response to Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) changes, the ALC says Australia’s freight system is at a “critical juncture”, with fragmented heavy-vehicle access frameworks, incomplete infrastructure data, and misaligned energy and regulatory settings constraining productivity, increasing costs and slowing the uptake of zero-emission freight technologies.
The ALC’s submission finds that long-standing regulatory fragmentation, inconsistent planning and access arrangements, and gaps in infrastructure and workforce capability are limiting the full deployment of high-productivity and zero-emission vehicles.
“These challenges are constraining outcomes across productivity, safety and decarbonisation,” ALC chief executive Dr Hermione Parsons says.
“Without coordinated reform, Australia will continue to forgo benefits that are already technically achievable.”
She says many local roads, bridges and culverts remain unassessed or digitally unmapped for Higher Mass Limits and High Productivity Freight Vehicles. This forces operators to rely on smaller vehicles for first- and last-mile tasks, increasing costs, vehicle kilometres travelled and emissions, while undermining the productivity intent of national access frameworks.
The ALC submission also says the National Automated Access System, or NAAS, has the potential to streamline access decisions and reduce administrative burden, but its
effectiveness is currently limited by inconsistent infrastructure data and incomplete integration with existing state and local permit systems. Without sustained investment and coordinated implementation, the ALC says NAAS cannot deliver its intended productivity and safety benefits.
It also says persistent driver shortages, uneven training capability across regions, and the need for updated competency frameworks for emerging vehicle technologies pose growing risks to supply chain resilience. Around 28,000 truck driver roles remained unfilled in 2024, with a significant share of the workforce approaching retirement.
Parsons says the business case for zero-emission trucks is being undermined by electricity tariff structures that are poorly aligned with high-capacity depot charging profiles, limited corridor-aligned charging and refuelling infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks that have not kept pace with quieter, cleaner vehicle technologies.
Despite significant private investment and efficiency gains within intermodal terminals, safety, and congestion issues at level crossings and on shared road–rail access routes serving terminal precincts continue to create avoidable delays and risks. These constraints sit largely outside the control of terminal operators and undermine broader network efficiency.
The ALC submission sets out a nationally coordinated heavy-vehicle reform agenda to align access frameworks, digital systems, infrastructure investment, energy pricing and workforce policy. Key priorities include:
- accelerating assessment of council-owned bridges and local roads to unlock high productivity vehicle access.
- delivering NAAS with reliable infrastructure data, integrated systems, and a clear national timetable.
- reforming electricity tariff structures to support economically viable zero-emission fleet operations.
- modernising curfew and access frameworks to reflect the lower noise and emissions profile of new vehicle technologies while maintaining community amenity.
- strengthening driver training, licensing, and emergency-response capability for emerging vehicle technologies; and
- prioritising safety and congestion management at critical road–rail interfaces.
“Industry is already investing in modern fleets, digital systems and low-emission technologies,” Parsons says.
“But those investments will not be fully realised without nationally consistent rules, enabling infrastructure and coordinated delivery.
“Getting this right is fundamental to Australia’s economic competitiveness and supply chain resilience. Heavy-vehicle reform must be treated as a core productivity and nation-building priority.”
The ALC says it looks forward to continuing to work closely with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, governments and infrastructure owners to progress practical reforms that improve access, safety, productivity and decarbonisation outcomes across Australia’s freight network.