In a legislative overhaul that modernises the regulation of dangerous goods and strengthens WorkSafe’s ability to enforce compliance with dangerous goods laws, the new Dangerous Goods (High Consequence Dangerous Goods) Regulations 2026 (HCDG Regulations) and have been made and will commence on 25 July 2026.
The 2026 HCDG Regulation modernises the regulation of dangerous goods and strengthens WorkSafe's powers to address serious risks arising from dangerous goods.
Given the broader changes to Victoria’s dangerous goods legislative framework that are currently being considered by Parliament, the HCDG Regulations have been remade without any changes to duty holder obligations.
As part of the regulation changes, consequential amendments to the Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Regulations 2022 were required, and as such, the Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Amendment Regulations 2026 (Explosives Amendment Regulations) have also been made and will also commence on 25 July 2026. These Explosive Amendment Regulations create a standalone statute regulating the transport of dangerous goods by road, rail, boat and inland waterways. They enhance WorkSafe's powers to address serious risks and share information relating to transporting dangerous goods, as well as aligning the transport of dangerous goods with most other jurisdictions around Australia, supporting national consistency and enabling safer outcomes for the dangerous goods transport industry, emergency services and the Victorian public.
The State Government agreed to reform its dangerous goods legislation to align it with other jurisdictions’ OHS laws, as recommended by the 2022 Final Report of the Independent Review of the Dangerous Goods Act 1985 conducted by prominent safety barrister Andrew Palmer KC. The review was commissioned in 2020 in response to catastrophic fires caused by the illegal stockpiling of chemical waste in Melbourne in 2018 and 2019.
You can learn more about Dangerous Goods at our Dangerous Goods - OHS Reps page. WorkSafe Victoria also publishes information about Dangerous Goods to guide and advise employers on how to ensure workers are safe when using, handling, storing or transporting dangerous goods.
Read more: Dangerous Goods (High Consequence Dangerous Goods) Regulations 2026 and Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Amendment Regulations 2026