Details scant as Queensland and Victorian firms raided amid HVNL concerns
One business premise in Queensland and two in Victoria have been raided this week as part of National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) investigations.
The entries to the as-yet unnamed companies were a result of concerns around road safety and compliance with safety duties under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), the regulator reports.
NHVR officers entered the businesses using powers under the HVNL.
Though information is limited at this early stage, the operation saw “a significant amount of documents and other evidence being seized by NHVR officers”.
“NHVR officers questioned executives of the companies involved and other parties within the chain of responsibility to obtain information in relation to fatigue management, loading, training and vehicle maintenance,” an NHVR statement continues.
An earlier probe saw a Queensland firm cop huge fatigue breach fines
NHVR director investigations Steve Underwood says the regulator would not hesitate to intervene where it believes there is a risk to the safety of road users.
“The NHVR has invested in technology and systems that allow us to produce high-quality, near real-time assessments of safety issues, which make these sorts of investigations possible,” Underwood says.
“We have substantial powers under the HVNL and we are very willing to intervene early to prevent safety issues on our roads.”