HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

New South Wales Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicle and Combination Exemption Notice 2024 (No.2)  

1. Purpose

(1)    This notice grants exemptions from mass and dimension requirements for a class 1 heavy vehicle that is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) or a SPV combination.

(2)    This notice revokes and replaces the New South Wales Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicle and Combination Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

2.       Authorising provision

(1)    This notice is made under the following provision of the HVNL:

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

(b)    section 23 of Schedule 1 – Regulator’s power to amend or repeal instrument.

3.       Title

This notice may be cited as the New South Wales Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicle and Combination Exemption Notice 2024 (No.2).

4.       Commencement date

This notice commences on 20 July 2024.

5.       Expiry date

This notice expires on 9 February 2029.

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:

Special purpose vehicle combination means a combination consisting of:

(a)    a special purpose vehicle towing a trailer; or

(b)    a prime mover towing a special purpose trailer; or

(c)     a special purpose vehicle towing a special purpose trailer.

Mobile crane means a heavy motor vehicle that is:

(a)    equipped with a crane or other lifting device; and

(b)    designed primarily for raising, moving and lowering a freely suspended load.

Truck mounted SPV means an SPV built using an ADR compliant heavy vehicle cab chassis.

7.       Application

(1)    This notice applies to a class 1 heavy vehicle that meets all the requirements in this section.

(2)    This notice applies to a heavy vehicle that is a special purpose vehicle or a special purpose vehicle combination that does not exceed 40t in GVM.

(3)    This notice does not apply to a SPV equipped with a triaxle drive group, or SPV trailers with non-drive tri-axle groups.

(4)    This notice applies in New South Wales.

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

8.       Exemption – Prescribed mass requirements

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

(a)    section 2 – Mass limits for a single vehicle or combination,

(b)    section 4 – Mass limits for a single axle or axle group,

(c)     section 5 – Mass limits relating to axle spacing generally.

(2)    An exemption in (1) only applies to an eligible vehicle to the extent that specific conditional mass limits are provided in sections 9, 10 and 11 of this notice.

(3)    In relation to a particular vehicle or component, if this notice provides for more than one mass limit to apply in the same circumstances, the more restrictive dimension limit applies.

(4)    In any case, any additional or conditional mass allowed under this notice may not exceed manufacturer’s mass limits pursuant to section 8 of the MDL Regulation.

9.       Conditions – Mass (total mass of an eligible vehicle)

An eligible vehicle must not exceed a GVM of 40t.

10.   Conditions – Mass (Mass limits for types of axle groups)

(1)    For an eligible vehicle, an axle group described in Column 1 of Table 1 must not exceed the mass listed in Column 2.

Table 1: Maximum masses for axle groups

(2)    The mass on a tandem axle group fitted with dual tyres, where the centre-lines of the axles are less than 1.35m apart, must not exceed 20.0t:

(a)    decreased by 1.0t for each 100mm by which the axle group’s GCW is less than 2.4m, or

(b)    increased by 1.0t for each 100mm by which the axle group’s GCW exceeds 2.5m, but not increased to more than 27.0t.

(3)    The mass on a tandem axle group fitted with dual tyres, where the centre-lines of the axles are at least 1.35m apart, must not exceed 23.0t:

(a)    decreased by 1.0t for each 100mm by which the axle group’s GCW is less than 2.4m, or

(b)    increased by 1.0t for each 100mm by which the axle group’s GCW exceeds 2.5m, but not increased to more than 27.0t.

(4)    The mass on a tri-axle group fitted with dual tyres, where the centre- lines of the axles are less than 1.35m apart, must not exceed 25.0t, decreased by 1.0t for each 100mm by which the axle group’s GCW is less than 2.4m.

(5)    The mass on a tri-axle group fitted with dual tyres, where the centre-lines of the axles are at least 1.35m apart, must not exceed 27.0t, decreased by 1.0t for each 100mm by which the axle group’s GCW is less than 2.4m.

(6)    An axle group that has dual tyres and is described in Table 2 must not exceed the mass listed in columns 2 to 5 for a given GCW listed in column 1.

Table 2: Mass limits for tandem and triaxle axle groups fitted with dual tyres

11.   Conditional - Tyre mass limits and axle group mass limits

(1)    In order to travel at the mass limits identified in Table 1 in section 10, the tyre width limits in Table 3 must be met.

(2)    The mass on an axle fitted with tyres of a number and width described in Table 3 must not exceed the mass limit specified in the Table for that axle in relation to the narrowest tyre on the axle.

Table 3: Mass limits relating to tyre width

12.   Exemption – Prescribed dimension requirements

(1)    An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following dimension requirements under Schedule 6 of the MDL Regulation:

(a)    section 3 – Length (combination or single vehicle),

(b)    section 4 – Length (trailers),

(c)     section 5 – Length (rear overhang),

(d)    section 7 – Width,

(e)    section 8 – Height,

(f)     section 13 – Front and side projection of load.

(2)    An exemption in (1) only applies to the extent that specific conditional dimension limits are provided in section 13.

(3)    In relation to a particular vehicle or component, if this notice provides for more than one dimension limit to apply in the same circumstances, the more restrictive dimension limit applies.

13.   Condition – Dimension limits

(1)    An eligible vehicle operating under this notice must not exceed the dimension limits set out in Table 4 of this notice.

Table 4: Conditional dimension limits

(2)    For this section, the width of a heavy vehicle must be measured in the same manner as in section 8 of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation.

14.   Conditions – Intelligent access program conditions (IAP conditions) for certain cranes

(1)    An eligible vehicle that is a crane exceeding 2.5m in width must be enrolled in and comply with Intelligent Access Program (IAP) or Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA) as applied in New South Wales and as approved by Transport Certification Australia.

(2)    Pursuant to section 402(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.

(3)    Pursuant to section 402(1)(c) of Chapter 7 of the HVNL, an eligible vehicle must be enrolled in and comply with an approved intelligent transport system specified in this section.

15.   Disapplication of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation

(1)    Pursuant to section 39(5) of the MDL Regulation, under this notice the conditions in Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation relating to class 1 vehicles are disapplied and amended to the extent indicated in this section.

(a)    section 7 – Travel restrictions at night is disapplied.

16.   Condition – Stated areas or routes

(1)    An eligible vehicle may operate on routes and areas specified in the New South Wales Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicle and Combination Vehicle Operator’s Guide, as amended from time to time.

(2)    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.

(3)    An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this section must comply with the following conditions as specified for that route or area:

(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 Austin

Director, Policy Implementation

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator