HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Queensland Class 3 Rockhampton Road Train Mass Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1)

1.       Purpose

This notice grants exemptions from mass requirements for class 3 heavy vehicles that are Type-1 road trains operating under the Queensland Livestock Loading Scheme transporting cattle to abattoirs in Rockhampton.

1.        Authorising provision

This notice is made under section 117 – Regulator’s power to exempt category of class 1 or 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

1.        Title

This notice may be cited as the Queensland Class 3 Rockhampton Road Train Mass Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

1.        Commencement date

This notice commences on 16 December 2024

1.        Expiry date

This notice expires on 15 November 2029.

1.        Definitions

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

1.       In this notice, definitions from the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice 2022 (No.3), as amended from time to time apply.

1.       In this notice:

Guide means the Queensland Livestock Loading Scheme Operator’s Guide published by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Load means freight of any kind including livestock.

Queensland Livestock Loading Scheme (Livestock Loading Scheme) means the scheme of that name managed by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Queensland Livestock Loading S10 Plate (Livestock Loading Plate) means the certification plate, including the blue and maroon colour modification plate, used by Approved Vehicle Examiners to certify a vehicle meets the requirements of the S10 Modification Code as required by the Livestock Loading Scheme.

S10 Modification Code means the Modification Code S10 — Concessional Livestock Loading - Vehicle Rating published by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

1.       Application

1.       This notice applies to a class 3 heavy vehicle that meets all the requirements in this section.

1.       This notice applies to a heavy vehicle that is a Type-1 road train transporting cattle.

1.       This notice applies subject to the conditions provided in the body of this notice.

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

1.        Exemption – Prescribed mass requirements

1.       Eligible vehicles 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):

1.       section 2 - Mass limits for a single vehicle or combination;
2.       section 4 and Table 1 - Axle mass limits table; and
3.        section 5 and Table 4 - Axle spacing mass limits road train table.

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

1.        Conditions – Mass limits

1.       The GCM rating of an eligible vehicle must equal or exceed the unladen mass of the prime mover plus the unladen mass of all trailers in combination plus 26 tonnes for each semitrailer.

1.       Mass limits for trailers used in a B-triple combination:

(a) 26 tonne maximum limit on tri-axle groups; and

(b) the total unladen mass of trailers in the combination must not exceed 32 tonnes.

1.       The maximum mass on tri-axle converter dollies must not exceed 20 tonnes.

1.       The total mass of an eligible vehicle must not exceed the lesser of the following limits:

(a) those specified by the Livestock Loading Plate; or

(b) the limits in this notice; or

(c) manufacturer mass limits.

1.    Conditions – Mass (Mass limits for types of axle groups and Gross Vehicle Mass)

1.       For a parameter given in columns 1 and 2 of Table 1:

1.       an axle group on an eligible vehicle must not exceed the masses in column 3; and
2.       an eligible vehicle must not exceed the Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) in column 4.

Table 1: Maximum masses for axle groups and GVM

1.    Condition – Compliance with the Livestock Loading Scheme

(1) An eligible vehicle operating under this notice must comply with the requirements of the Queensland Livestock Loading Scheme, including but not limited to:

a)  Deck requirements;

b) Interstate mutual recognition requirements.

Note: Specific information relating to Type-1 road trains transporting cattle such as deck requirements and mutual recognition requirements may be provided in the Guide.

1.    Condition – Livestock Loading Plate

An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice must be fitted with a current and compliant Livestock Loading Plate. Vehicles previously certified under the S10 Code with a modification plate will be recognised as eligible for the Scheme.

1.    Condition – Vehicle conditions

1.       An eligible vehicle with a twin-steer axle group must have load-sharing suspension.

1.       An eligible vehicle must not have a:

1.       drive axle group with more than two axles in contact with the ground; or
2.       quad axle group on any of its components when operating on a State controlled road.

1.       The loaded deck length of all trailers in a B-triple configuration must not exceed 28.2m.

1.       An eligible vehicle must meet the conditional vehicle standards described in Table 2.

Table 2: Conditional vehicle standards

1.       In this section:

drive axle group means an axle group that has one or more driving axles.

loaded deck length, means the sum of the lengths of the three decks of the trailers measured from inside the front wall to inside the back wall of the loading space.

1.    Conditions – Travel restrictions

1.       Subject to 2), an eligible vehicle must only operate between the hours of 7:00pm and 7:00am.

1.       An eligible vehicle must not operate during the periods mentioned in Column 1 of Table 3 on the dates and times identified in Column 2.

Table 3: Prohibited travel dates and times

Note:  If Christmas day falls on a Sunday or a Monday, the Christmas holiday will commence on the Friday before Christmas day from 12:00pm.

If New Year's Day (1 January) falls on a Friday, the Christmas holiday is extended to 11:59pm the 3 January that year.

1.       The driver of an eligible vehicle must drive at least 200m behind another heavy vehicle travelling in front of it.

Note:  This is to ensure passing opportunities for other motorists and to assist with effective traffic signals coordination.

1.    Condition – Stated areas or routes

1.       An eligible vehicle complying with the conditions of this notice is authorised to operate on areas and routes listed in in Table 4.

1.       Operators of an eligible vehicle must comply with all current conditions of operation published in the “Conditions of Operations Database” as if the eligible vehicle was an over dimensional vehicle.

Note: The Conditions of Operations Database is available on the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads website.

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

1.       An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in Table 4 must comply with any of the following conditions prescribed for that area or route:

1.       Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and
2.       Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and
3.        Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

Table 4: Stated areas and routes

Jose Arredondo

Manager Network Access Policy

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator