Published 25 November 2025 by the RLM Consult Certify Comply team
The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) Amendment Bill passed the Queensland Parliament without amendment on 18 November 2025. Because Queensland hosts the national law, that vote changes the rules for every operator in the participating states and territories. The short version: NHVAS is being replaced by a new Heavy Vehicle Accreditation scheme, a national safety management system standard is on its way, and the penalties for putting an unfit driver behind the wheel are about to get much bigger.
What the amendment does
The reform package has been years in the making, following the National Transport Commission’s review of the HVNL. The Bill that passed last week carries the major structural changes, with the detail to follow in regulations and standards before the amended law commences during 2026. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has said operators will get notice of the commencement date and a transition period, so nothing changes overnight. It does change, though, and the operators who start now will be the ones who are not scrambling later.
Heavy Vehicle Accreditation replaces NHVAS
The National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme, with its separate mass, maintenance and fatigue modules, is being replaced by a single Heavy Vehicle Accreditation (HVA) scheme. HVA is two tiered. General Safety Accreditation (GSA) recognises an operator whose safety management system meets the new national standard. Alternative Compliance Accreditation (ACA) sits above it and is the pathway to concessions such as alternative fatigue arrangements and mass management, which is where the commercial value of accreditation has always been. The NHVR has flagged that existing NHVAS operators will have up to three years to transition once the law commences, and that new NHVAS accreditation will stop being issued.
A safety management system standard
For the first time the law will point to a national Safety Management System Standard as the benchmark for accreditation. Operators who already run an ISO 45001 aligned system will recognise the shape of it: leadership commitment, risk assessment, controls, competency, incident management, monitoring and review. Operators who have been running the three NHVAS modules as stand alone folders will find the gap is larger, because the new standard treats safety as one system rather than three separate audits.
The unfit to drive duty
The amendment expands the duty not to drive, and not to allow someone to drive, while unfit. The maximum penalty for the offence rises from $6,000 to $20,000. The practical effect is that fitness for duty (fatigue, drugs and alcohol, medical conditions, distraction) needs a documented process, not a line in an induction. Schedulers, supervisors and the operator itself are all in scope.
Other changes worth knowing
- A stronger executive officer duty, in line with the primary duty concept that already exists in Chain of Responsibility law.
- Streamlined access arrangements for Performance Based Standards and class vehicles.
- Updated enforcement tools for the NHVR, including infringement and improvement notice powers that mirror work health and safety practice.
Why civil and infrastructure contractors should care
Most of the operators we work with are not transport companies. They are civil contractors, plant hire businesses, rail maintenance crews and precast suppliers who happen to run trucks, floats and water carts. Under the HVNL they are operators, and if they hold NHVAS for mass or maintenance concessions they will need to move to HVA within the transition window. If they do not hold accreditation, the expanded fitness for duty and executive duties still apply to them from day one of commencement.
The second reason to care is procurement. Head contractors on major projects are already asking for evidence of Chain of Responsibility compliance in tender schedules. Once HVA exists, expect the question to become “are you accredited under the new scheme” in the same way ISO 45001 has become a standard line item. Being early is a differentiator for about two years, then it becomes the minimum.
What to do before commencement
- List every heavy vehicle you operate, own or contract, and confirm which NHVAS modules (if any) you hold and when they expire.
- Map your current safety documentation against the draft Safety Management System Standard. Most operators find they have the procedures but not the risk register, the competency matrix or the review cycle that ties them together.
- Write a fitness for duty procedure that covers fatigue, impairment and medical conditions, and train schedulers and supervisors on it.
- Decide whether you need ACA level concessions. If mass or fatigue concessions are part of your business model, plan the ACA pathway now so you are ready when applications open.
- Integrate rather than duplicate. If you already hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or ISO 45001, the HVA system should sit inside that integrated management system, not beside it.
Elsewhere this month
Two other items from November matter to our clients. Transport for NSW awarded Siemens Mobility the next tranche of its Digital Systems Program on 6 November, bringing ETCS Level 2 signalling to the T1 North Shore Line and adding to the pipeline of rail work that needs accredited contractors. And SafeWork NSW announced on 7 November that a three day statewide blitz in October produced 736 non-compliance notices across 261 employers, with construction receiving the most visits and the most notices. Both are reminders that the regulators and the clients are looking at the same thing: whether your systems work on site, not whether they exist on paper.
Frequently asked questions
When does the amended Heavy Vehicle National Law commence?
The Bill passed on 18 November 2025. Commencement is expected during 2026 once the supporting regulations and the Safety Management System Standard are finalised. The NHVR has said operators will be given notice of the date and a transition period for accreditation.
Does NHVAS accreditation still count?
Yes, existing NHVAS accreditation remains valid until the new law commences and for a transition period afterwards, which the NHVR has indicated will be up to three years. New NHVAS accreditation is expected to stop being issued once Heavy Vehicle Accreditation is available.
What is the difference between General Safety Accreditation and Alternative Compliance Accreditation?
General Safety Accreditation recognises that an operator’s safety management system meets the national standard. Alternative Compliance Accreditation is the higher tier that unlocks concessions such as alternative fatigue and mass management arrangements, which is where most of the commercial benefit sits.
Do I need Heavy Vehicle Accreditation if I already have ISO 45001?
Not automatically. ISO 45001 certification is strong evidence of a working safety management system, but accreditation under the HVNL is a separate application assessed against the new standard. In practice an ISO 45001 system covers most of the requirements and the gap is usually the heavy vehicle specific controls such as fatigue, mass and maintenance.