Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 07 SEPTEMBER 2018

Done and dusted: Parliament passes final phase of the chain of responsibility reforms

Cooper Grace Ward
Cooper Grace Ward
Contributor
Cooper Grace Ward

Cooper Grace Ward

Cooper Grace Ward was established in 1980 and has quickly become one of the largest independent...

View firm profile
Explore more from Cooper Grace Ward

The HVNL regime imposes a primary duty on businesses in the chain and a due diligence obligation on executive officers.

AustraliaTransport
Tony Park
Tony Park
Author LinkedIn connections

The Heavy Vehicle National Law Amendment Bill 2018 was passed yesterday afternoon. The amendments will significantly enlarge the investigative and enforcement powers of authorised officers under the Heavy Vehicle National Law. The amendments are set to commence on 1 October 2018, alongside the new 'primary duty' and executive 'due diligence' obligation.

The new 'chain of responsibility' regime consists of three separate pieces of amending legislation.

PHASE 1 – INTRODUCING THE NEW REGIME

In December 2016, Parliament passed amendments to the Heavy Vehicle National Law to introduce a new regime that imposes a 'primary duty' on all businesses in the 'chain of responsibility' and a 'due diligence' obligation on all executive officers to ensure their businesses comply with the primary duty. The amendments are set to commence on 1 October 2018.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

© Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers

Cooper Grace Ward is a leading Australian law firm based in Brisbane.

This publication is for information only and is not legal advice. You should obtain advice that is specific to your circumstances and not rely on this publication as legal advice. If there are any issues you would like us to advise you on arising from this publication, please contact Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Limitation Has Its Limits: The High Court Of Australia Confirms Wreck-Removal Claims Are Not Limitable In Australia

The High Court of Australia has handed down judgment in the much-anticipated decision of CSL Australia Pty Ltd v Tasmanian Ports Corporation Pty Ltd [2026] HCA 15 (The Goliath). It has unanimously dismissed CSL Australia Pty Ltd’s appeal. As such, under Australian law, a shipowner cannot limit its liability for wreck removal expenses under the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims 1976.
AustraliaTransport
Kennedys
Kennedys
Article

Railway Outlook 2026: Tracking Australia’s Digital Rail Transition

Australia's railways are undergoing a $12.9 billion digital transformation, introducing new signalling, telecommunications and control systems across passenger, freight and heavy-haul networks. However, different jurisdictions are adopting incompatible technologies at varying paces, risking a new "digital break of gauge" where tracks connect but control systems do not. KordaMentha's Railway Outlook 2026 examines whether Australia can convert individual investments into an integrated national railway system.
AustraliaTransport
KordaMentha
KordaMentha
Video

It Depends – Can A Limited Recourse Borrowing Trust Acquire More Than One Asset? (Video)

Under Australian superannuation law, limited recourse borrowing arrangements typically require separate bare trusts for each asset acquired by an SMSF. However, certain exceptions allow multiple assets to be held in a single bare trust, including identical assets purchased simultaneously, permanent fixtures spanning multiple titles, and assets legally required to be dealt with together. Understanding these nuanced rules is critical to avoid serious compliance, tax, and duty implications.
AustraliaWealth Management
Cooper Grace Ward
Cooper Grace Ward
Video

National Safe Work Month – For Life – Why WHS Matters (Video)

October is National Safe Work Month, and Cooper Grace Ward's workplace relations and safety team explores why work health and safety matters for every business. Special counsel Gemma Sharp examines the legal duties of PCBUs and officers to protect workers from both physical and psychosocial hazards, emphasizing that safety must be woven into the fabric of business operations rather than treated as an afterthought.
AustraliaEmployment and HR
Cooper Grace Ward
Cooper Grace Ward
Podcast

Podcast: Inside The Claim With CGW – Flight Risk: Grounded By A Galley Cart

Cooper Grace Ward's Damien Jarrett and Jess Byrne examine Hunter v Alliance Airlines Pty Ltd, a Supreme Court workers' compensation case involving a cabin crew member's back injury from a jammed galley cart. The discussion explores how the case evolved from maintenance and staffing allegations into a training dispute, and examines the court's approach to quantum arguments when the injured worker chose to pursue her own business rather than return to employment.
AustraliaEmployment and HR
Cooper Grace Ward
Cooper Grace Ward
Article

First Right To Disconnect Rulings Clarify The Bar For A Contravention Of The Right To Disconnect Laws

In the first substantive rulings on Australia's right to disconnect laws, the South Australian Employment Tribunal has determined that an Adelaide hairdressing salon did not breach its apprentices' rights despite sending frequent out-of-hours messages via TikTok and Snapchat. The Tribunal drew a critical distinction between unwelcome communication and actually preventing employees from disconnecting, establishing that subjective pressure without demonstrable consequences does not constitute a breach.
AustraliaEmployment and HR
Cooper Grace Ward
Cooper Grace Ward