Dear Mrs Mugridge 
Thank you for your email of 6 August 2025 regarding your concerns with the standards for heavy vehicle licences. 
Firstly, please accept my sympathies for the loss of your husband through particularly 
difficult circumstances. I also would like to acknowledge the advocacy work you have 
undertaken following his death to improve road safety outcomes for heavy vehicle drivers and the community. Victoria is acutely aware of the challenges within the heavy vehicle licensing space, and broader contributions to road trauma. As a result, we are working with Austroads and other jurisdictions to uplift the licensing requirements for heavy vehicle drivers through the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework. More information can be found online at: austroads.gov.au/drivers-and-vehicles/registration-and-licensing/heavy-vehicledriver-competency-framework. 
The heavy vehicle licensing approach in Victoria is centred on drivers gaining experience before progressing to larger, more complex vehicles. In conjunction with the Austroads work, we are looking to introduce the following policy changes:  - - - - 

Obtaining and holding a heavy combination licence before applying for a multi 
combination licence 
Progression pathways similar to the South Australian approach, to encourage drivers 
to gain practical on-road experience 
Excluding drivers with a licence ban for a serious driving offence in the previous two 
years from gaining a higher licence category 
Broadening training and assessment requirements, including expansion of 
assessment competencies and increased minimum practical experience during 
training.  

If you would like to understand more about this work, I encourage you to review the 
Decision Regulatory Impact Statement and sign up to updates on the Austroads project. The statement can be found online at: austroads.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/616964/NHVDCF_Decision_RIS.pdf. 
Victoria is also committed to undertaking public consultation on the proposed regulatory amendments, and I would invite you to provide a response to this consultation when it is released.  

Thank you again for sharing your concerns. Your feedback is important to the Allan Labor 
Government as it continues to work hard to improve road safety in Victoria. 

Yours sincerely 
Hon Melissa Horne MP 
Minister for Health Infrastructure 
Minister for Ports and Freight 
Minister for Roads and Road Safety 
09/09/2025