HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Queensland Class 2 Performance Based Standards A-Double (Toowoomba to Port of Brisbane) Authorisation Notice 2023 (No.1)

1. Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to authorise Performance Based Standards (PBS) A-doubles to access a special PBS network running from Toowoomba to Port of Brisbane up to a Gross Combination Mass of 85.5 tonnes.

2.       Authorising provision

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

a)      section 138 – Regulator’s power to authorise use of all or stated categories of class 2 heavy vehicles

3.       Title

This exemption notice may be cited as the Queensland Class 2 Performance Based Standards A-Double (Toowoomba to Port of Brisbane) Authorisation Notice 2023 (No.1).

4.       Commencement date

This notice commences on 9 October 2023.

5.       Expiry date

This notice expires on 8 October 2028.

6.       Definitions

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

2)      In this notice, definitions specified in the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice apply.

3)      In this Notice:

PoB road means a road for which the Port of Brisbane (PoB) is the road manager.

BCC road means a road for which Brisbane City Council (BCC) is the road manager.

TMR road means a road for which the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is the road manager.

7.       Application

1)      The authorisation in this notice applies to an A-double that is PBS Level 2 pursuant to the Performance Based Standards Scheme – The Standards Vehicle Assessment Rules.

2)      This authorisation does not apply to a PBS vehicle that:

a)      is operating under an exemption from section 8 or section 9 of the Heavy Vehicle (General) National Regulation; or

b)      has, as part of its vehicle approval, an ADR exemption permitting additional axle groups or split axle groups.

3)      This notice applies in Queensland.

4)      A heavy vehicle to which this section applies and that complies with the conditions of this notice is an eligible vehicle.

8.       Conditions – Areas and routes

1)      An eligible vehicle may operate on the routes stated in schedule 2.

2)      For the purposes of section 138(1)(a) of the HVNL a route specified in this section is a stated route to which this notice applies.

3)      An eligible vehicle operating on a stated route under this section must comply with any of the following conditions applied to that route:

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.

9.       Condition – maximum length

An eligible vehicle must not exceed 30.0m in length.

10.   Conditions – maximum total vehicle masses on certain roads

1)      An eligible vehicle must not exceed the following total masses on the roads specified:

a)      for a vehicle operating on a TMR road – 81.5t

b)      for a vehicle operating on a BCC road – 85.0t

c)       for a vehicle operating on a PoB road – 85.5t.

Note: the masses in this section may restrict masses provided in a vehicle’s PBS approval. Regardless of the restrictions in this section, an eligible vehicle must always comply with masses in its approval, or the conditions in this notice, whichever is the more restrictive.

11.   Condition – axle spacing requirements for routes and areas other than Port of Brisbane

An eligible vehicle on any route or area specified in section 8 that is not a PoB road must comply with the axle spacing requirements set out in Schedule 1.

12.   Condition – carriage of vehicle approval

The driver of an eligible vehicle must carry a copy of the PBS vehicle approval issued for that vehicle.

13.   Condition – speed limit

An eligible vehicle must not exceed 90km/h.

14.   Conditions – Intelligent access program conditions (IAP conditions)

1)      Pursuant to s402(1)(a) and (b) of Chapter 7 of the HVNL, the following conditions of this Notice are intelligent access program conditions:

a)      any condition relating to mass or dimensions; and

b)      any condition relating to stated areas or routes to which the authority applies, including any relating to speed or time of travel.

2)      Pursuant to s402(1)(c) of Chapter 7 of the HVNL, an eligible vehicle must be enrolled in and comply with an approved intelligent transport system as set out in this section.

3)      An eligible vehicle must be enrolled in and comply with one of the following approved intelligent transport systems, approved by Transport Certification Australia:

a)      For vehicles enrolled from 1 December 2022, both:

1. Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA); and
2. Smart On-Board Mass Monitoring

b)      For vehicles enrolled before 1 December 2022, both:

1. Intelligent Access Program (IAP); and
2. Interim On-Board Mass Monitoring

Note: The option in subsection (1)(b) to comply using IAP and interim On-Board Mass monitoring will be removed from 1 June 2024.

4)      In this section, Intelligent Access Program means the approved intelligent transport system of that name administered by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

5)      In this section, Interim On-Board Mass Monitoring means the approved intelligent transport system of that name administered by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

6)      At the time of operation under this notice, an eligible vehicle to which this section applies must be enrolled in and be compliant with all the conditions of the required approved intelligent transport system.

Jose Arredondo

Manager Network Access Policy

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Schedule 1: Axle spacing for routes other than Port of Brisbane roads

1. Application

Pursuant to section 11 of this notice, this schedule applies to eligible vehicles operating on routes or areas that are not Port of Brisbane roads.

2.       Condition – axle spacing

1)      Pursuant to section 11 of this notice, eligible vehicles operating on routes or areas that are not Port of Brisbane Roads must comply with the axle spacing requirements set out in one of the following categories:

a)      Category 1: vehicles that have axles spacings that correspond with table 1

b)      Category 2: vehicles that have axles spacings that correspond with table 2

c)       Category 3: vehicles that have axles spacings that correspond with table 3

2)      For the purposes of this section, axle spacing means the distance between pairs of numbered axles shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: axle spacing diagram

Table 1: Axle spacing for category 1 vehicles

Table 2: Axle spacing for category 2 vehicles

Table 3: Axle spacing for category 3 vehicles

Schedule 2 Stated Routes

The following table contains stated routes pursuant to section 8 of the notice.