National regulator hails next step towards reform going national
Better safety outcomes and a stronger Chain of Responsibility (COR) are the result of the Queensland Parliament yesterday passing amendments to the National Heavy Vehicle Law (NHVL).
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) sees the amendments as a welcome improvement that “will be critical for a more robust heavy vehicle industry”.
“These reforms are a significant leap forward in recognising everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in ensuring safety,” NHVR acting CEO Ray Hassall says.
“One of our roles as the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator is to provide information and educational resources to guide the industry through these changes.
“We are doing just that through our soon to be released guidelines for industry Codes of Practice, and most recently the release of our first series of COR podcasts and factsheets as part of a national effort to boost safety for all road users.”
An implementation period has been proposed that will see these reforms come into effect in mid-2018 which will ensure all parties have time to prepare for the changes.
The reforms aim to complement heavy vehicle and national workplace safety laws, and place a positive duty of care on all supply chain parties.
The NHVR believes it will now be much easier for duty holders to understand and assess their risks, and know they are complying with the law.
“Through the replacement of existing prescriptive obligations, the whole transport industry can benefit from a reduction of red tape and better apply risk management processes to focus on safety outcomes,” Hassall says.
Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers says the amendments ‘will automatically roll out to other participating jurisdictions by way of each state and territory applying the uniform law”.
“The amendments will commence on a date set by proclamation,” the law firm adds.
“While this date has not yet been fixed, the National Transport Commission has proposed an implementation period of 18 months before the amendments come into effect to allow regulators and industry participants to educate themselves and their staff and to put in place systems to ensure compliance.”