New proposed dangerous goods legislation
31st March 2026
As you may know, new proposed legislation to modernise and strengthen Victoria’s dangerous goods laws has been introduced in Parliament on, 31 March 2026.
Proposed legislation
The proposed legislation consists of two Bills, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Dangerous Goods) Bill 2026 (OHS Amendment Bill) and the Dangerous Goods Transport Bill 2026 (DG Transport Bill).
The OHS Amendment Bill will amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) to include regulation of the handling of dangerous goods, bringing this into alignment with Victoria’s broader health and safety framework.
The DG Transport Bill will create a new Act, the Dangerous Goods Transport Act, for the transport of dangerous goods by road or rail, including transport of explosives and high consequence dangerous goods, consistent with national regulatory settings. It will also regulate the transport of dangerous goods by vessel on inland water.
If the proposed legislation passes, it is anticipated that it will commence in April 2028 to give duty holders and industry enough time to comply with the changes.
The Dangerous Goods Act 1985 (DG Act) will also be repealed on commencement of this legislation, and references to the DG Act in other Victorian legislation will be amended to refer to the OHS Act or new Dangerous Goods Transport Act.
Associated dangerous goods (DG) regulations will be reviewed and structured to align with the new Acts once the legislation passes. Key stakeholders will be engaged on the development of these regulations.
Background
The change to dangerous goods laws follows recommendations from the Independent Review of the Dangerous Goods Act 1985 and associated regulations (the Review) and the Government’s response to those recommendations. The Review was commissioned in 2020 following high-profile incidents associated with illegal chemical stockpiling at several sites across Melbourne.
Extensive consultation and engagement with the Victorian community, business, industry, key stakeholders, and all levels of government helped inform the development of this legislation.
Support
A range of communication activities will be undertaken to assist duty holders, stakeholders and impacted individuals to implement the changes if the proposed legislation becomes law.
More information
Further information about this proposed legislation is available on the WorkSafe website. Stakeholders and the public can also register for updates on this page.
Copies of the Bills can be viewed and downloaded from the Victorian legislation website once they are second read.
The Ministerial media release, Stronger Dangerous Goods Laws To Protect Victorians, announces the introduction of the new legislation to Parliament.