The takeover in April of all heavy vehicle regulatory services in Queensland has contributed to a $5 million dip in the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) total surplus for the last financial year.
In its recently released 2023-24 Annual Report, the NHVR recorded a surplus of $5,017,000 in 2023-24, down from $10,200,000 in the 2022-23 period.
“The NHVR’s total surplus decreased in the 2024 financial year due to increased staffing and other associated costs relating to the transition of heavy vehicle regulatory services in Queensland, which has already provided significant productivity and safety benefits for the heavy vehicle industry,” said an HHVR spokesperson.
“Any surplus is used to help fund future assets and projects in line with the NHVR’s Corporate Plan, which also outlines the NHVR’s budget. This includes delivering focused national operations to address identified risks to enhance safety for the heavy vehicle industry as well as all road users.
“The NHVR has always valued safety over infringements, and our main priority is informing and educating drivers on how to comply with their safety obligations and to change driver behaviour.”
The NHVR’s total income for the year was $244,861,000, up from $235,041,000 year-on-year.
Regulatory income – the regulatory component of heavy vehicle registration charges from the Heavy Vehicle National Law signatories – is the biggest component at $184,308,000, up from $182,133,000.
The NHVR annual report. Image: NHVRGrants and fee income were much on par, year-on-year, but ‘other income’ spiked from $30,014,000 in 2023 to $36,339,000 in large part to a full year of service in annual heavy vehicle inspections on behalf of Transport for NSW and the equivalent inspections in Queensland from April 20, 2024.
Sundry revenue, which includes penalty revenue and court fee reimbursements, decreased from $7,734,000 in 2023 to $6,812,000 in 2024.
Another item of interest to truckies might be the income derived from work diaries, down from $4,746,000 in 2023 to $4,138,000 in 2024.
According to the annual report, it costs the regulator $2,741,300 to distribute the diaries to various outlets.
Outgoing boss Sal Petroccitto used much of his final CEO report – his last day in the role is January 24 – to reflect on the NHVR’s achievements in its 10 years of operations.
The NHVR highlights some key 2023-24 numbers in its latest report. Image: NHVR“Since our inception in 2013, the safety of our customers and the community has been at the centre of all that we do,” Petroccitto writes.
“A 10-year journey to a single national heavy vehicle regulator In April 2024, we completed our National Services Transition program, bringing in Queensland as our final jurisdiction which now sees the NHVR ensuring compliance with the Heavy Vehicle National Law across 6 Australian jurisdictions, namely, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria.
“The transition of Queensland was a significant achievement for the NHVR. We can now take a consistent approach to compliance and enforcement from the roadside to interventions, borderless operations and delivering timely, national responses to critical compliance issues right across the country.”
Petroccitto said he is now confident that, through the NHVR’s “forward looking national approach to heavy vehicle compliance”, we will see a safer and more productive heavy vehicle industry across Australia.
He did, however, acknowledge that in 2023–24, 192 people died in crashes involving heavy vehicles, including 99 deaths in crashes involving articulated trucks and a further 81 deaths in crashes involving heavy rigid trucks.
“These tragic and alarming figures tell us that we need to be doing more to ensure greater safety outcomes for all road users,” he said.
“While we continue to work constructively with the heavy vehicle industry, we know that more education needs to occur with light vehicle drivers who remain the at-fault party in most fatal crashes involving trucks in Australia (77.4 per cent).
“In response to this, we are continuing to undertake public road safety campaigns. These are aimed at educating and informing all road users how to share the roads safely with trucks.
“We have a particular focus on high-risk cohorts such as learner and provisional platers.”
Sal Petroccitto, right, reflects on the last 10 years in his final report. Image: NHVRAnother highlight for Petroccitto in the last financial year was the release of the National Network Map, consolidating road network information across Australia into the NHVR online Portal.
“This key initiative improves heavy vehicle access and decision-making by combining state-based heavy vehicle road networks and displaying them in one online location, the first time that this has been achieved.
“It is the single and authoritative location for the heavy vehicle industry to map journeys across state and territory borders for their entire fleet.”
In March 2024, the Advanced Fatigue Management digital application was also upgraded in the NHVR Portal.
“This enhancement not only reduces the administrative barriers for operators when creating their operations manuals, but also provides a practical tool to help industry to have access to tailored work and rest options.”
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