HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

New South Wales Class 3 Livestock Transportation Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1)

1. Purpose

This Notice provides mass exemptions that support the New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme. This Notice works with the New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme, and gives effect to the exemptions and conditions of that Scheme. Compliance with the Scheme is a condition of this Notice.

Note:  The New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme is published and maintained by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), in conjunction with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

2.      Authorising Provision

This Notice is made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

3.      Title

This Notice may be cited as the New South Wales Class 3 Livestock Transportation Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

4.      Commencement

This Notice commences on 10 February 2024.

5.      Expiry

This Notice expires on 9 February 2029.

6.      Application

This Notice applies to eligible combinations operating in New South Wales.

7.      Definition

(1)   Unless otherwise stated, words and expressions used in this Notice have the same meanings as those defined in the HVNL.

(2)   In this Notice:

Combined loading space means the sum of the loading spaces of each vehicle that is part of an eligible combination.

Eligible combination means a heavy vehicle combination that is eligible to operate under this Notice as specified in s8.

General Access means access to all roads in New South Wales, subject to the New South Wales Road Rules and the HVNL.

Loading space means the dimension measured from the inside of the front wall or door to the inside of the rear wall or door of a semitrailer, with intervening partitions being disregarded.

Scheme means the New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme published and maintained by TfNSW.

8.      Eligible combinations

(1)   An eligible combination must be one of the following categories of heavy vehicle:

a)      Single articulated vehicles which consist of a prime mover and a semitrailer, and have a loading space available for the carriage of animals not exceeding 12.5 metres;

b)      B-doubles that have an overall length not exceeding 19.0 metres and a combined loading space available for the carriage of animals not exceeding 15.0 metres; and

c)      B-doubles that have an overall length not exceeding 26.0 metres and a combined loading space available for the carriage of animals not exceeding 18.8 metres; and

d)      Road trains that have an overall length not exceeding 36.5 metres, and a minimum distance between the centres of the outermost axles of a road train of at least 26.5m metres, and a combined loading space available for the carriage of animals not exceeding 25.0 metres.

e)      B-triples that consist of a prime mover and three semitrailers and have a combined loading space available for the carriage of animals not exceeding 28.2 metres.

f)       AB-triples that consist of a prime mover and semitrailer combination connected, by a converter dolly, to two semitrailers which are connected by a fifth wheel coupling, that have a combined loading space available for the carriage of animals not exceeding 28.2 metres.

(2)   A vehicle under this section is only an eligible combination when it is transporting livestock.

9.      Conditions - Vehicle Requirements

(1)   Eligible combinations operating under this Notice must  have:

a)      a prime mover with a tandem axle drive group, and

b)      semitrailer(s) with either tandem axle or tri-axle group(s), or in the case of a B-double not exceeding 19.0 metres in length, semitrailers with tandem axle groups only; and

c)      in the case of a road train or an AB-triple, either a tandem axle or tri-axle group on the converter dolly, and

d)      either single tyres with section width of at least 375 mm, dual tyres, or a combination of those tyres, on all axle groups, and

e)      certified road friendly suspension fitted and maintained in working order on all axle groups of all semitrailers.

f)       in the case of a B-Triple or AB-triple, certified road friendly suspension fitted and maintained in working order on all axle groups.

10.  Exemption – Mass

(1)   Eligible combinations operating under this Notice are exempt from the following mass requirements in Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension & Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation):

a)      section 2(1)(a)(iv) - Complying steer axles for vehicles that are not B-Doubles or Road Trains.

b)      section 2(1)(2(b) - Axle Mass limits referencing Table 1, Part 2.

c)      section 4 - Mass limits for a single axle or axle group.

d)      section 5 - Mass Limits relating to axle spacing generally.

(2)   These exemptions only apply to a mass requirement where a conditional mass for a specified parameter has been provided in this Notice.

11.  Conditions - Mass (Gross Combination Mass)

(1)   The total mass of a combination must not exceed the lowest of the following:

a)      the sum of the axle and axle group mass limits in Table 1, or

b)      the GCM limit specified by the prime mover manufacturer, or

c)      the sum of the GVMs for the prime mover and the trailer or trailers it is towing.

12.  Conditions - Mass (Axle and axle group limits)

(1)   The mass on an axle or axle group must not exceed the limits set out in Table 1, except as provided for by 2).

Table 1: Axle and axle group mass limits

(2)   Floating tri-axle mass concession: the mass on a tri-axle group of a semitrailer may exceed the limit set out in Table 1 by up to 0.5 tonne, as long as the total mass of the combination does not exceed the total mass limit (GCM) specified in section 11.

13.  Conditions – Stated Areas and Routes

(1)   An eligible combination operating under this Notice may operate access the following network

a)      Eligible single articulated vehicles up to 19.0 metres in length:

New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme Single Articulated Combination Network

b)      Eligible B-doubles up to 19.0 metres in length:

New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme 19m B-double Network

c)      Eligible B-doubles up to 23.0 metres in length:

New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme 23m B-double Network

d)      Eligible B-doubles up to 26.0 metres in length:

New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme 26m B-double Network

e)      Eligible Type 1 A-double road trains up to 36.5 metres in length:

New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme Type 1 A-double Network

f)       Eligible B-triple road trains up to 36.5 metres in length:

New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme B-triple Network

g)      Eligible AB-triple road trains up to 36.5 metres in length:

New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme AB-triple Network

(2)   An eligible vehicle accessing a network set out in subsection (1) must comply with the road and travel conditions set out in that network.

Note: Links and descriptions of these routes may be found in the Scheme Business Rules.

(3)   An eligible vehicle accessing a network set out in subsection (1) may also access the New South Wales Farm Gate Network if it is enrolled in the Road Infrastructure Management (RIM) approved intelligent transport system pursuant to s14(3) of this Notice.

Note:- The New South Wales Farm Gate Network is published on the New South Wales Farm Gate Network webpage, published on the TfNSW website. This network includes networks in participating Road Manager areas, including  the  travel  and  road conditions that apply on those networks.

Note:- Access to the networks under this section may require that the eligible vehicle be enrolled in and comply with an approved intelligent transport system pursuant to s14 of this Notice.

14.  Conditions - Intelligent Access Conditions

(1)   B-triples and AB-triples may only operate under this Notice if they are enrolled in one of the following approved intelligent access system pursuant to Chapter 7 of the HVNL:

a)      The Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA) with Transport Certification Australia (TCA); or

b)      The Intelligent Access Program (IAP).

(2)   B-triples and AB-triples operating under (1)(b) must comply with all of the conditions relating to IAP in s10 of the New South Wales Higher Mass Limits Declaration 2020.

(3)   An eligible vehicle operating on the New South Wales Farm Gate Network must be  enrolled  in the  Road Infrastructure Management (RIM) approved intelligent access system pursuant to Chapter 7 of the HVNL.

Note:-  Approved intelligent transport systems are developed by Transport Certification Australia (TCA) under the National Telematics Framework. Information on the Framework and approved intelligent transport systems may be found on the TCA website.

15.  Conditions- New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme

(1)   An eligible combination operating under this Notice must comply with all of the requirements of the New South Wales Livestock Loading Scheme, including but not limited to:

a)      Eligible livestock; or

b)      Deck requirements; or

c)      Driver accreditation; or

d)      Registration; or

e)      Interstate mutual recognition requirements; or

f)       conditions relating to routes as per the networks specified in s14.

Peter Austin

Director, Policy Implementation

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator