In July 2009 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed that a single national heavy vehicle regulatory regime be established to cover all vehicles over 4.5 gross tonnes. COAG agreed that the national regime include a single national regulator to administer a single set of national heavy vehicle laws replacing the separate and at times conflicting regulatory requirements on the heavy vehicle industry between States and Territories.
In August 2011 an Intergovernmental Agreement on Heavy Vehicle Regulatory Reform was signed by COAG (except Western Australia) setting out the principles and processes to implement the decision to deliver a national heavy vehicle regulatory system. The signing of this agreement recognises that the Commonwealth and the States and Territories have a mutual interest in improving national regulation and the need to work together to achieve these outcomes.