Heavy Vehicle National Law Amendment Bill 2025

Spoke in support as Minister for Primary Industries, highlighting the bill's focus on safety improvements including expanding the fitness-to-drive duty to all heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes, and reducing red tape for industry compliance.

“The Crisafulli government is committed to delivering a government that works for you. That is why we welcome changes that can help reduce red tape and provide a simpler system to boost productivity and innovation, all without compromising safety.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Moved the second reading as Minister for Transport and Main Roads. Outlined the bill's key reforms including the fit-to-drive duty, revised penalties, enhanced accreditation framework, and streamlined code of practice framework.

“Truckies provide a critical service across Queensland and driving a heavy vehicle is already a difficult enough task without the need for onerous administration and unnecessary red tape.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill on behalf of the Labor opposition, recognising the crucial role of heavy vehicle drivers and welcoming reforms designed to make communities safer.

“When I look at the policy objectives of this bill, I am pleased that these reforms are clearly designed to make our communities safer. We will be voting in favour of these reforms.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Stated the opposition does not oppose the bill as it represents nationally agreed reforms endorsed by all state and territory transport ministers, including Queensland under the previous Labor government.

“We do not oppose the bill as it represents a continuation of nationally agreed reforms developed through the NTC and endorsed by all state and territory transport ministers, including Queensland under the previous Labor government prior to the October 2024 election.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, emphasising the importance of heavy vehicles to the Redlands economy including construction, quarry operations, and barge deliveries to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

“This bill is an important step in delivering national consistency, modernising our heavy vehicle safety framework and ensuring the continued productivity of one of our most vital industries.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Spoke as committee chair, praising the professionalism of truck drivers and welcoming practical solutions in the bill including discretion for enforcement officers to issue warnings for fatigue-related issues.

“Having practical solutions in this latest suite of changes that give enforcement officers the discretion to give a warning for some of the fatigue related issues and to lessen some of those fines is a very welcome change to the industry.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, acknowledging Queensland's role as host jurisdiction for the national law and emphasising the importance of regular updates and national consistency for the heavy vehicle regulatory framework.

“It is important that this law continues to get updated and updated regularly because, as we see with modern technology, changing business models and the impacts of safety incidents and experiences, the law needs to be agile.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill as a committee member and former transport committee chair, summarising the key reforms and noting regional challenges raised during hearings.

“These amendments enable the national regulator to do more of the job that it was set up to do, prioritising road safety not just in Queensland but across the country.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill while noting frustrations of local trucking operators with excessive fines for minor infractions. Welcomed the provision allowing authorised officers to issue formal warnings for minor breaches.

“One of the aspects of this bill which I support is the ability for authorised officers to provide formal warnings to drivers if they feel that the infraction was a relatively minor one. I think that is a particularly good innovation.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Spoke in support, providing a detailed overview of the bill's reforms including the enhanced accreditation framework, fit-to-drive duty, modernised code of practice framework, and governance improvements.

“These reforms will not only strengthen the operation of the Heavy Vehicle National Law but also deliver tangible benefits to the heavy vehicle industry, Queensland's road users and the broader community.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, noting the Port of Brisbane in her electorate handles five million truck movements annually and 97-98% of containers are moved by trucks. Welcomed the expanded fitness-to-drive duty and fatigue management improvements.

“The Port of Brisbane has five million truck movements annually. This is projected to increase each year. Also, 97 to 98 per cent of all containers at the Port of Brisbane are moved by trucks.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill but emphasised the need for proper implementation, targeted education for regional operators, and warned that red tape must not be shifted onto small business owners.

“The opposition supports the bill, but we will watch closely to see how it is implemented.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, welcoming the expanded fitness-to-drive duty and the removal of penalties for minor clerical errors in work diaries. Noted that enforcement efforts should target genuine safety risks.

“They are sensible and they will ensure people are not being punished for simple mistakes.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill as a committee member, noting the unique challenges of remote and regional areas and sharing evidence from Gostelow's Cattle & Freight Transport about difficulties with fatigue management in remote North Queensland.

“Whilst the bill does meet the national requirements, I stress the point that its interpretation and implementation must recognise regional considerations.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Strongly supported the bill, emphasising trucking as essential to North Queensland's economy. Highlighted the impact of road closures during wet weather events on freight supply to communities.

“For Townsville and North Queensland, trucking is not just another industry; it is essential for our economy.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill, emphasising the federal Labor government's leadership in driving the reforms and their importance for regional Queensland operators.

“For too long regional operators have shouldered the double burden of complex regulation and safety risks on aging road networks. This bill brings relief through simpler compliance, digital systems and a risk-based approach that rewards good practice rather than punishing paperwork errors.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, commending the minister for progressing long-overdue reform. Noted industry groups like QTA and Queensland livestock transport association had been seeking reform for years.

“This Heavy Vehicle National Law reform has been long overdue. I commend the minister who has had the courage to grab the national system and say, 'We have to actually start to enact this reform.'”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill, noting 205 road deaths involving heavy vehicles in the past 12 months and detailing the key reforms around the fit-to-drive duty, enhanced accreditation and penalty changes.

“This bill will improve the safety and wellbeing of the heavy vehicle transport industry through a range of mechanisms.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, outlining the key safety measures including the expanded fitness-to-drive duty and the enhanced accreditation framework with mandatory safety management systems.

“Rather than relying solely on prescriptive requirements fixed in the law, the amendments support a risk-based regulatory approach that gives the regulator greater discretion to respond to future challenges and industry needs.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill, emphasising the importance of stakeholder consultation and the need for ongoing engagement with industry, particularly smaller operators and regional drivers.

“This bill should be a springboard for developing fatigue countermeasures based on biological science, including approved short naps.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, highlighting Toowoomba's role as a freight and logistics hub. Referenced local operators and the InterLinkSQ intermodal terminal as examples of the industry's importance.

“Toowoomba is a freight and logistics hub and this bill will make a real difference to the operation and the efficiency of that hub.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill as a former police officer of nearly 30 years, highlighting the importance of the fit-to-drive duty and the bill's protections for heavy vehicle drivers and other road users in North Queensland.

“No-one should ever be pressured to operate a heavy vehicle when they are unfit to do so. This bill makes that clear—safety must always come first.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, noting he was present when the original law was tabled in 2012. Endorsed both the committee report findings and the minister's objectives for safety and flexibility.

“I certainly not only endorse the findings of the committee report but also what the minister has tried to achieve in this legislation. It creates a new flexibility for truck drivers and brings in the safety systems that are desperately needed.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Broadly supported the bill but used much of his speech to criticise the transport minister over local road safety issues on the Mount Lindesay Highway.

“The bill introduces new powers allowing the minister to direct the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to act where there is a serious public risk or investigate reports on safety matters.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

As Minister for Transport, delivered the reply speech thanking members for bipartisan support. Clarified the fitness-to-drive duty is about empowering drivers, not roadside snap judgements, and addressed concerns about regulatory burden on small operators.

“If drivers are unwell, impaired by drugs or alcohol, or simply know that they cannot safely drive at that point in time, they have a duty to stop. This duty now applies to drivers of all heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes, not just those over 12 tonnes.”— 2025-11-18View Hansard

Supported the bill wholeheartedly, emphasising the heavy vehicle industry's importance to the economy and how the bill helps keep transport costs down for consumers.

“I support this bill wholeheartedly—so truckies get home sooner and safer, so young Queenslanders can see a great career in this vibrant and dynamic industry.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, praising the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator's work in her inner-city electorate managing heavy vehicle curfews and highlighted the importance of fatigue management provisions.

“It is a Labor thing to make sure that people are safe at work. That is in Labor's DNA.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill drawing on personal experience driving prime movers. Emphasised the importance of clear fatigue guidelines for truck drivers in his electorate with over 400 kilometres of Bruce Highway.

“We lose too many lives on our roads because of fatigue. We need to make sure that the guidelines that are in place are easy to understand and follow for our hardworking truckies.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Did not oppose the bill's legislation but raised serious concerns about NHVR enforcement practices in remote areas, including overzealous blitzes in Richmond, unreasonable compliance timeframes for remote operators, and drivers leaving the industry due to excessive fines.

“Everyone in town knows it is. There are experienced truck drivers up in Richmond that said, 'Well, our shed has been there for 20, 30 years. We have been driving out the road trains.' These guys just come in their taskforce.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill, highlighting the importance of the heavy vehicle industry to the Mackay-Isaac region and commending local safety education initiatives for young drivers near Moranbah.

“From the coalfields of Moranbah and the cane farms of the Pioneer Valley to the fuel trucks that roll in and out of the Port of Mackay every day, heavy vehicles are what keep Queensland moving.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Supported the bill but argued the reforms were Labor policies being delivered late by the LNP government. Called on the government to invest in driver training and support for smaller operators.

“Let's call it for what it is: the bill is a Labor policy delivered late by an LNP government that is more focused on headlines than on heavy vehicles.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard

Spoke in strong support, noting 3,020 heavy vehicles pass through Rockhampton daily and emphasising the bill's improvements to safety, enforcement and compliance.

“In Rockhampton alone an average of 3,020 heavy vehicles pass through daily. On some of our regional highways, heavy vehicles account for up to 50 per cent of all of the traffic.”— 2025-10-30View Hansard