On September 18 the NHVR released its 2025-28 corporate plan, which outlines how the regulator will deliver on its safety, productivity and sustainability objectives in the short and medium term.
Many of the plan’s deliverables are relevant to HVIA members, and cover access, productivity and sustainability initiatives.
Adam Ritzinger, HVIA’s Chief Technical Officer, spoke positively about the plan and looks forward to working with the NHVR on behalf of members, but highlights the importance in getting the detail right.
“We know how critical these issues are for members, and while they have our support, there are dangerous traps that must be avoided”, he says.
“Specifically, the National Automated Access System (NAAS) must be truly national, accepted by all states, local governments and infrastructure owners equally, and we cannot allow access decisions made by the system to be reduced on review.
“Similarly, HVIA supports the use of notices over permits for granting access, but the priority must be maximising productivity. The conditions that apply cannot result in ‘watered down’ versions of high productivity vehicles that ultimately lack utility and reduce the notice’s impact.”
On Performance Based Standards, Adam calls on the regulator to review its submissions to the NHVR’s discussion paper for PBS 2.0 (February 2023), and Roadblocks to Reform discussion paper (May 2024). Those submissions covered a range of issues relevant to the NHVR’s objectives of reforming and digitising the scheme, and the use of templates as an access tool.
“PBS has been incredibly successful at sparking innovative vehicle designs, but has been less effective at opening access for those vehicles”, he says.
“Future reforms to PBS must tackle that issue head-on, with a focus on greater adoption of the scheme by road managers, and national harmonisation.
“The NHVR should start with the original 2006 COAG-endorsed principles for the PBS scheme, which were certainty of access, national consistency and reduced compliance costs for operators.”
A full list of the NHVR’s key deliverables that are relevant to HVIA members is shown below. Please contact Adam Ritzinger (a.ritzinger@hvia.asn.au) to provide feedback or discuss any of these areas.
Access
> Implement a network expansion program for access under statutory notices, prioritising those network improvements that will achieve the greatest reduction in permit volumes.
> Enhance the NHVR Portal to provide improved permitting functions, including integrating with the National Automated Access Assessment System.
> Develop and deliver a prioritised access notice program supported by both industry and jurisdictions.
> Identify the potential benefits of harmonising different jurisdictional arrangements for heavy vehicles (e.g. access decisions) to pursue a range of priority reforms.
Performance Based Standards (PBS)
> Reform of the PBS scheme and complete the review of the PBS Standards.
> Digitise the PBS scheme.
> Develop and release a range of PBS templates linked to simplified access arrangements.
Safety
> Increase rate of adoption of technologically or system-based safety and compliance solutions to mitigate identified safety risks.
Sustainability
> Contribute to and support the development of regulatory frameworks that encourage the uptake of autonomous, low and no-emission heavy vehicles to improve sustainability, productivity and safety.
> Undertake a program to accelerate the uptake of PBS vehicles across the heavy vehicle fleet.
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