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ARTICLE · 02 OCTOBER 2016

Chain of responsibility: these new Qld provisions have teeth and may bite hard

Cooper Grace Ward
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The changes impose a 'primary duty' on all parties in the chain of responsibility to ensure the safety of road transport.

AustraliaTransport
Sam Adams
Sam Adams
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The Heavy Vehicle National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 has now been introduced in the Queensland Parliament. The proposed changes will significantly alter the current regime and impose a 'primary duty' on all parties in the chain of responsibility to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of road transport activities. This will mean that enforcement agencies can bring proceedings against parties in the chain without some harm or incident having to first occur. The proposed changes will also impose significant maximum penalties that give teeth to the primary duty and align with other national safety laws.

When will the changes commence?

The Bill is currently being considered by the Transportation and Utilities Committee with that committee to report back to Parliament by 1 November 2016. Once the amendments are passed, it is proposed that the changes will not commence for one year to allow regulators and industry participants to

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