Australian Log Haulage Industry Code of Practice consultation

The NHVR is seeking public feedback on the draft Log Haulage Industry Code of Practice. Feedback should be provided to codes@nhvr.gov.au by  Friday 18 April 2025.

The Log Haulage Industry Code of Practice is a practical guide that assists parties in the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) for forest log haulage to comply with their primary duty and other obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). It does this by identifying hazards to public risk and proposes controls that can be implemented to eliminate or minimise risk.

The code isn’t just for log haulage contractors. CoR parties in this sector include businesses that own or manage forests; harvest contractors who cut and stockpile logs; centralised dispatching businesses; harvest or transport contractors who load truck; and mills and other businesses that receive logs.

Under the HVNL, CoR parties have existing obligations to ensure safety. The Log Haulage code does not create new obligations, but it provides information that guides parties about how to fulfil their broad primary duty. It identifies hazards and risks in log haulage and describes control measures which can be used to eliminate or minimise public risk.

It is not obligatory for a CoR party to implement the controls recommended in a registered code. So long as they are doing what is reasonably practicable to ensure safety, it doesn’t matter how they do it. However, if a party ignores hazards and risks that are identified in a registered code, or fails to implement available controls, then a court can refer to a registered code as evidence of what the party should have known. A party’s state of knowledge is one element of an assessment of whether they have done what is reasonably practicable.

Why we’re consulting

Feedback direct from industry ensures that the code of practice is comprehensive, up to date, and useful to its target audience.

Background

The code was developed with the assistance of the Australian Forest Products Association and the Australian Forest Contractors Association and has been graciously supported by the expertise of a wide range of industry and other stakeholders who were consulted throughout the development of the draft.

How is it registered?

Consultation on the draft code is open for 8 weeks. Following the consultation period, feedback on the draft code will be considered and the code assessed for registration by a panel comprising members with experience in a range of disciplines, including both NHVR staff and external experts.

The assessment panel must determine whether the code complies with the NHVR’s published guidelines, with or without further changes. If the panel is satisfied that the code meets the requirements, it makes a recommendation to the NHVR that the code should be registered.

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Source & image credit: NHVR