HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW
Heavy Vehicle Victoria Police (Special Operations Group) Work Diary and Record Keeping Exemption 2026 (No.1)
- Purpose
This Notice grants exemptions from work diary and record keeping requirements for the driver of a vehicle who is a member of Victoria Police attached to the Special Operations Group (SOG) and who is performing a function in the course of their police duties. This Notice also provides an exemption for a person who may be a record keeper for such a driver.
Note: Nothing in this exemption relieves the driver of a fatigue regulated heavy vehicle from the duty to avoid driving while fatigued, pursuant to section 228 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
This Notice does not provide an exemption to work and rest requirements under Part 6.3 of the HVNL, or from any safety duty that may apply under Chapter 1A of the HVNL.
- Authorising Provisions
- This Notice is issued under the following provisions of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL):
- section 357 - Regulator’s power to exempt particular drivers from work diary requirements
- section 378 - Regulator’s power to exempt record keepers from fatigue record keeping requirements
- Title
This Notice may be cited as the Heavy Vehicle Victoria Police (Special Operations Group) Work Diary and Record Keeping Exemption 2026 (No.1).
- Commencement
This Notice commences on 15 February 2026.
- Expiry
This Notice expires on 14 September 2028.
- Definitions
Unless stated otherwise, words and expressions used in this Notice have the same meaning as in the HVNL and its regulations.
- Application – class of work, participating jurisdictions, and eligible persons
- The exemption from work diary requirements under section 2(1)(a) of this Notice applies to the driver of a fatigue regulated heavy vehicle who is a member of Victoria Police attached to the Special Operations Group (SOG), and who is performing a function in the course of their police duties.
- The exemption from record keeping requirements under section 2(1)(b) of this Notice applies to a record keeper who is a sworn officer or employee of Victoria Police and who is, or would otherwise be, the record keeper for an eligible driver.
- A driver to whom this Notice applies in an eligible driver.
- A record keeper to whom this Notice applies is an eligible record keeper.
- This Notice applies in all participating jurisdictions.
- Exemption – work diary requirements
1) Pursuant to section 2(1)(a) of this Notice, an eligible driver is exempt from complying with subdivisions 1 to 5 of Division 2 of Part 6.4 of the HVNL.
2) The exemption in 1) only applies to an eligible driver who complies with the work record management practices of the Special Operations Group, Victoria Police.
- Exemption – record keeper requirements
- Pursuant to section 2(1)(b) of this Notice, an eligible record keeper is exempt from complying with Division 3 of Part 6.4 of the HVNL.
- The exemption in 1) only applies to an eligible record keeper who complies with the work record management practices of the Special Operations Group, Victoria Police.
Paul Daly
Director, Strategic Policy
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Overview
The Heavy Vehicle Victoria Police (Special Operations Group) Work Diary and Record Keeping Exemption 2026 (No.1) Notice was enacted to address the unique operational needs of the Special Operations Group of Victoria Police by providing exemptions from specific work diary and record keeping requirements under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). This exemption was introduced to facilitate the effective execution of their duties without the burden of adhering to the standard record keeping requirements. The Notice was issued by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, with the aim of supporting law enforcement operations while maintaining the overarching safety standards set by the HVNL. Importantly, this exemption does not release drivers from their obligations to avoid driving while fatigued, nor does it exempt them from the broader safety duties outlined in the HVNL. The exemptions are strictly confined to the work diary and record-keeping requirements and are effective from 15 February 2026 until 14 September 2028.
Scope and Application
The Heavy Vehicle Victoria Police (Special Operations Group) Work Diary and Record Keeping Exemption 2026 (No.1) applies to members of Victoria Police who are attached to the Special Operations Group (SOG) and are operating fatigue-regulated heavy vehicles in the course of their police duties. This Notice grants exemptions from work diary and record-keeping requirements to such drivers and to sworn officers or employees of Victoria Police who are record keepers for these drivers. This exemption is applicable across all participating jurisdictions. However, it does not relieve drivers of their duty to avoid driving while fatigued or exempt them from work and rest requirements or safety duties under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). This Notice is issued under specific sections of the HVNL and comes into effect on 15 February 2026, expiring on 14 September 2028. The exemption from work diary requirements applies only if the driver adheres to the work record management practices of the Special Operations Group, Victoria Police. Similarly, the exemption from record-keeping requirements applies only to eligible record keepers who comply with these practices.
Key Provisions
The Heavy Vehicle Victoria Police (Special Operations Group) Work Diary and Record Keeping Exemption 2026 (No. 1) Notice exempts certain drivers and record keepers from specific work diary and record keeping requirements under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). Specifically, the exemption applies to drivers who are members of Victoria Police attached to the Special Operations Group (SOG) and who are performing police duties (section 2(1)(a)). Additionally, it exempts sworn officers or employees of Victoria Police who serve as record keepers for these drivers (section 2(1)(b)). This exemption is applicable in all participating jurisdictions.
The Notice outlines that the exemption from work diary requirements applies to eligible drivers who are members of Victoria Police's SOG and performing police duties, provided they adhere to the work record management practices of the SOG (section 2(1)(a)). Similarly, the exemption from record keeping requirements applies to eligible record keepers who are sworn officers or employees of Victoria Police and comply with the work record management practices of the SOG (section 2(1)(b)). This Notice mandates that both eligible drivers and record keepers must follow the specific work record management practices of the Special Operations Group, Victoria Police.
Breaching the provisions of this Notice, such as failing to comply with the specified work record management practices, does not have direct criminal or civil penalties outlined within the Notice itself. However, it is essential to note that the exemption does not relieve drivers from the obligation to avoid driving while fatigued, as stipulated in section 228 of the HVNL. Moreover, this Notice does not exempt drivers from the work and rest requirements under Part 6.3 of the HVNL or any safety duties under Chapter 1A of the HVNL. Therefore, while this Notice provides certain exemptions, it does not override other critical safety obligations under the HVNL.