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FACT SHEET
Dangerous Goods (Road and Rail Transport) Bill 2010
· The purpose of this Bill is to improve land transport safety
by regulating the transport of dangerous goods that, due to
their physical, chemical and toxicological properties, can
pose a significant risk to human life, health, property and the
environment, particularly when being transported.
· In 2008, all jurisdictions voted to adopt a new package of
model laws produced by the National Transport
Commission (NTC), an independent body funded by all
States and Territories and the Commonwealth.
· It is anticipated that adoption by all jurisdictions will provide
for a seamless regulatory environment for the transport of
dangerous goods across the country, and internationally.
· This will ensure that Tasmanian businesses can transport
dangerous goods across Tasmania, through other states, and
overseas under a consistent set of packaging, labelling and
safety requirements.
· This Bill and the Regulations to be made there under
effectively adopt the Commonwealth's package of model
laws and the Australian Code for the Transport and
Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail 7th Edition.
· In many instances this Bill carries on and repeats large parts
of the current Dangerous Goods (Safe Transport) Act 1998.
However, rather than trying to laboriously amend the
current legislation to accommodate every change occasioned
by the model laws, it was decided that a more sensible
approach would be to repeal the existing legislation and
replace it with the new model legislation.
2.
· The new Bill is expected to provide a number of benefits for
industry, Government and the community:
improved compatibility with international regulations and
codes on the classification, packaging and labelling of
dangerous goods;
a single set of regulations for domestic road and rail
transport operators resulting in a reduction in inter-
modal inefficiencies for the transport industry;
an up-to-date list of dangerous goods which will benefit
both the transport industry and emergency services by
making it easier to identify substances and related
requirements;
benefits for global companies with operations in Tasmania
with closer alignment with United Nations and
international practice; and
cost savings, as some quantities of dangerous goods can
be transported without adhering to provisions of the new
Bill or the Australian Code for the Transport and
Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail 7th Edition.
· The introduction of the Bill will result in some changes for
industry. These changes are expected to be minimal and
include:
Emergency Action Codes are replacing current Hazchem
Codes;
the Emergency Action Code for LPG will change from
2WE to 2YE, which signifies the addition of cold burn
protection for emergency responders in the event of an
incident; and
increased powers to authorised officers, powers will
extend to the ability to stop and conduct searches of
vehicles, give directions to rail operators, inspect and
search premises, seize and remove documentation,
equipment and records, and obtain warrants.