Ministers approve reform package to improve road safety and productivity

Tuesday, 19 December 2023

Australia’s Transport Ministers have agreed in-principle to an improved, nationally‑consistent approach to the training and licence progression of heavy vehicle drivers, that improves road safety and productivity.

The in-principle changes were approved by infrastructure and transport ministers in December 2023 through the agreement by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting (ITMM) to endorse the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework Decision Regulation Impact Statement (Decision RIS).

The changes are designed to increase the safety and job‑readiness of heavy vehicle drivers.

The Decision-RIS proposals include:

• strengthening heavy vehicle driver skills and knowledge through redesigned learning and assessment requirements specific to each licence class.
• requiring minimum course lengths and minimum behind-the-wheel time
• delivering some training and assessment online to allow licence applicants flexibility to undertake the training when and where it best suits them and reduce costs.
• Introducing new experience-based licence-progression pathways to allow drivers to gain higher licence classes more rapidly. For each licence upgrade, drivers would be able to choose a different pathway option: tenure, driving experience, or completion of a supervision program.

Once the pathways are in place, drivers will be able to upgrade from a medium rigid licence to a multi-combination licence in as little as six months– instead of a minimum of two years under current arrangements. This more rapid progression will be available because of the risk mitigation strategies that are being introduced at the same time:

• requiring driving experience, not just a 12-month period on a lower class licence which may involve no actual behind the wheel time
• providing fastest progression to drivers who have also been mentored by an experienced professional driver
• putting in place minimum training and assessment times addressing the number of unusually short courses which are currently available
• more fully defining the competencies that must be progressively developed and demonstrated, and building in practical learning and application throughout the learning process.

Austroads will develop best-practice standards and training material to support consistent delivery of the enhanced heavy vehicle competencies and assessments.

Research commissioned by Austroads and referenced in the Consultation-RIS and Decision-RIS showed that the existing approach to the training and licensing of truck and bus drivers in Australia could be substantially improved. The research showed that:

• bus and truck driver training and licensing arrangements are not sufficiently focused on key driver related risks to road safety, which results in the roads being less safe and less productive for all road users,
• heavy vehicle driver training and licencing is not nationally consistent, which is unproductive and a concern to industry, and
• heavy vehicle licence progression is slower than it needs to be, which dampens productivity and is a concern to industry.

Austroads Chief Executive Geoff Allan thanked Ministers and agencies for their support for the proposals and for their contributions to ensure the package meets the needs for improved safety and productivity, while considering the practical implications for heavy vehicle driver trainers and for the road freight and bus and coach industries.

“Major national reform is always challenging. This process, and the road safety and productivity benefits it will deliver, demonstrate Australia’s cooperative federalism at work. The states and territories have agreed to changes that could be challenging to implement, in order to achieve a better overall outcome for the Australian community. This deserves to be recognised and applauded,” Mr Allan said.

“Ministers have been considering a range of options to improve the safety of trucks and buses, and we have appreciated working with them and their departments. Recent major incidents, such as the tragic NSW Hunter Valley bus crash, have highlighted the need for significant change, with the NSW Bus Safety Task Force looking to review bus driver training, competency, and skill levels in their future reports.”

“The changes will facilitate the delivery of harmonised heavy vehicle training and assessment, strengthening driver competencies and improving licensing policy to fast-track job readiness.”

Austroads will work with each state and territory government and the different industries to fully scope the implementation program, identify policy, service and stakeholder issues and options, and seek to collaboratively develop a coordinated plan to deliver the anticipated safety and productivity benefits of the reform.

“We will be actively engaging with the driver training and heavy vehicle industries, providing information as well as opportunities for input into on-the-ground delivery elements.”

“National project scoping and resolution of policy and related issues will be undertaken in stages with Australia’s transport ministers kept up to date on both national and jurisdictional progress” Mr Allan said.

Background

Austroads was invited to work with registration and licensing authorities to improve the Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework because Australian Transport Ministers identified that the existing approach to the training and licensing of heavy vehicle drivers was flawed and needed to be improved.

In January 2022, the National Cabinet agreed that Austroads would, through its review of the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework, consider ways to increase the number of skilled and safe heavy vehicle drivers.

Austroads published a Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on 24 August 2022 and consulted for over nine weeks, to 28 October 2022. Promotion of the Consultation RIS was extensive and targeted heavy vehicle operators, drivers (current and prospective), and the driver training industry as those most impacted, as well as state and territory driver licensing authorities.

Austroads received about 250 submissions, including formal submissions to the Consultation RIS and survey-based submissions to specific reform options outlined in the Consultation RIS.

A summary of the engagement approach, feedback to the Consultation RIS and Austroads’ response in settling recommended reforms in the Decision RIS is provided at https://austroads.info/NHVDCF-review.

The recommendations in the Decision RIS refine options presented in a preceding Consultation RIS, such that the recommended reforms deliver safety benefits while aligning with industry feedback and driver licensing authorities’ preferences.

In December 2023, all Ministers approved in-principle reforms to the National Heavy Vehicle Competency Framework subject to the agreement of feasible implementation plans.

The review of the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency framework completes an action of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2023–25, to enable Austroads to work with States and Territories to plan and implement change.