HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Multi-State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2022 (No 1)

1. Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to allow specified Type 1 road train combinations transporting cotton modules between cotton farms and cotton gins to be exempted from prescribed dimension requirements in Schedule 6, Part 2 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation.

Note: This Notice replaces the Multi State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No 1) on its expiry.

 Exemptions for vehicle standards contained in the previous version of the Notice are no longer required and have been removed with no effect to the operation of the Notice. All other exemptions, conditions and access are the same.

2.       Authorising provision

1)      This Notice is made under the following provision of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL):

a)      section 117 – Regulator’s power to exempt category of class 1 or 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement.

3.       Title

This exemption Notice may be cited as the Multi-State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2022 (No 1).

4.       Commencement date

This Notice commences on 28 April 2022.

5.       Expiry date

This Notice expires on 27 April 2027.

6.       Definitions

Unless otherwise stated, words and expressions used in this Notice have the same meanings as those in the HVNL and its regulations.

7.       Application

1)      This exemption Notice applies to a road train that does not exceed 36.5m in length, that has no more than two trailers, and is transporting cotton modules between cotton farms and cotton gins.

2)      This Notice applies in New South Wales and Queensland.

3)      A heavy vehicle to which this section applies is an eligible vehicle.

8.       Exemption – Prescribed dimension requirements

1)      An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following mass requirements under Schedule 6 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation):

a)      section 4(2) – distance from a trailer’s front articulation point to its rear overhang line

b)      section 4(3) – restriction on protrusion beyond prescribed limits

2)      An exemption in 1) only applies to the extent that specific conditional dimension limits are provided in section 9 of this Notice.

9.       Condition – Dimensions (trailer dimension limits)

1)      A trailer that is part of an eligible vehicle must not exceed any of the following dimensions:

a)      For the first trailer:

1. the distance from the front articulation point to the rear of that trailer must not be more than 12.75m; and
2. the tow coupling overhang distance between the vertical axis of the ‘Coupling’ pivot may exceed 0.3m but must be no more than 0.75m forward from the rear-most projection of the trailer.

b)      For the second trailer:

1. the radius from the centre and forward of the front articulation point must not exceed 2.45m; and
2. any extension outside of the line created by drawing a semi-circle with 1.9m radius from the centre and forward of the front articulation point must be positioned symmetrically about the longitudinal centreline and must lie within total 1.5m wide.

c)       Sufficient clearance must exist between the first and second trailer so no part of the load or combination can contact each other under all operating conditions, other than electrical, hydraulic or mechanical couplings.

10.   Conditions – Areas and routes

1)      For the purposes of section 119(1)(a) of the HVNL, an area or route specified in this section is a stated area or route to which this Notice applies.

2)      An eligible vehicle operating in New South Wales may access the following networks:

GML Type 1 A-double Network

Note: This network is the network published for Type 1 Road Trains up to 36.5m in length under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice in New South Wales.

This network is maintained and published by Transport for New South Wales on its website under Restricted Access Vehicle (RAV) maps and lists.

3)      An eligible vehicle operating in Queensland may access the following networks:

RT1 - PBS 3A

Note: This network is the network published for Type 1 Road Trains up to 36.5m in length under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice in Queensland.

This network is maintained by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and is published on the Queensland Globe online data service maintained by the Queensland Government.

4)      An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this Notice or its Schedules must comply with the following conditions as specified for routes and areas set out on that map:

a)      Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and

b)      Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and

c)       Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

Peter Caprioli

Executive Director (Freight and Supply Chain Productivity)

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator