Class 3 Drought Assistance Dimension Exemption Notice 2018 21 January 2019 National Class 3 Drought Relief Dimension Exemption Operators Guide This operator’s guide complements the National Class 3 Operators can find these notices on the National Heavy Drought Assistance Dimension Exemption Notice 2018 Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) website (www.nhvr.gov.au). (Drought Assistance Notice) governing the transport of baled or rolled commodities. Specified baled commodities The Drought Assistance Notice was developed to assist The National Class 3 Drought Assistance Dimension farmers with the transport of specific commodities to drought Exemption Notice 2018 applies to the following commodities: affected areas. • Baled or rolled hay or straw Under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), heavy Drought affected areas vehicles are normally limited to the following dimensions: • 2.5m in width A drought affected area is an area declared as drought • 4.3m in height. affected or drought declared, or similar, under a law of the relevant participating jurisdiction. The Drought Assistance Notice provides width and height dimension exemptions to heavy vehicles carrying specified Check your state or territory government website for officially baled and rolled commodities to drought affected areas. declared drought affected areas. Under the Drought Assistance Notice, an eligible vehicle Participating road managers that already has either general access, or restricted access under a Gazette notice, may operate up to the following This notice only applies in certain participating road dimensions: manager areas. This includes all State and territory • 2.83m in width government controlled roads, plus roads managed by the • 4.6m in height. Local Government Areas listed in Appendix 1. Note: The vehicle must already have access to be able to Note: access to these roads may be conditioned, as per benefit from this notice, and must comply with the conditions Appendix 1. The list in Appendix 1 is subject to change. of that notice. Please visit www.nhvr.gov.au/drought for the latest version of this operator guide. For example, a rigid vehicle up to 12.5m in length would have general access if its width and height are no more than The load must not project more than 165mm from the outmost 2.5m and 4.3m respectively. The rigid vehicle, carrying baled part of either side of the vehicle. hay to a drought affected area under this notice would be able to load up to 2.83m in width and 4.6m in height and Eligible vehicles retain general access on participating road manager roads. The following vehicles are eligible to operate under the Similarly, a B-double may access networks under a B-double Drought Assistance Notice: notice in the same way, loaded to 2.83m wide and/or 4.6m • a heavy rigid vehicle up to 12.5m in length high, so long as it complies with the conditions of that notice. • a prime mover and semi-trailer combination up to 19m in length A heavy vehicle operating under this notice must also • a prime mover and low loader combination up to 19m in comply with the conditions from Schedule 8 of the Heavy length Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation • a B-double (MDL Regulation). • a road train. This national notice is applicable to Queensland, New South Note: In Queensland, rigid truck and dog trailers are also Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania eligible vehicles. In NSW, broader access is available under and South Australia. the New South Wales Class 3 Drought Assistance Exemption Heavy vehicles operating under this notice must comply with Notice 2018. the applicable road, travel and vehicle conditions listed in this guide. www.nhvr.gov.au 1 Class 3 Drought Assistance Dimension Exemption Notice 2018 Load restraint • prime mover and semi-trailer combinations up to 19m in length Operators must ensure that the load is properly restrained • prime mover and low loader combinations up to 19m in and contained while in transport. length. Organisations like the Australian Fodder Industry Association Note: Certain vehicles such as truck and dog trailers in (AFIA) as well as the Load Restraint Guide published by Tasmania, may have general access under notices. the National Transport Commission (NTC) can offer some assistance. Restricted access An eligible road train or a B-double that has access under a current notice may access the networks available under that notice. As well as complying with the requirements of this notice, an eligible vehicle must comply with all of the conditions of the current notice, except for: • height and width—eligible vehicles may use the conditional height and width limits specified in s.12 • warning sign and flag conditions—eligible vehicles must always comply with the requirements in s.15 • any special conditions set out in the schedule of a participating jurisdiction. For example, if a road train can operate under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice 2015, it will have the same access under this Drought Assistance Notice up to 2.83m wide and 4.6m high if it complies with the requirements of this notice. Operating conditions Note: The straps on the above diagram are for illustration purposes only. If operators have any doubts about how to restrain their loads please seek Eligible vehicles operating under this notice that are over expert advice. 2.6m in width, must comply with the following requirements from Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation: Areas or routes of operation • Section 2 – Warning Signs and Flags • Section 3 – Warning lights and delineators if load This notice primarily acts to allow vehicles that already have projecting from vehicle a level of access—be it general access or restricted access—to • Section 6 – Headlights maintain that access if operating under this notice even • Section 8 – No travelling in low visibility when loaded to 2.83m wide or 4.6m high. • Section 9 – Minimum following distance • Section 11 – Assessing routes. To gain access under this notice, the vehicle must: • have access, either general or restricted AND Participating road managers • be carrying specified baled commodities to a drought affected area AND This notice only applies on roads that are controlled by • travel on roads managed by a participating road manager. Participating Road Managers. Participating road managers, drought affected areas and This includes all State and territory government controlled specified baled commodities are all defined in this document. roads, plus roads managed by the Local Government Areas listed in the table in Appendix 1: 4.6m high vehicle access in NSW Note that access to these roads may be conditioned, as per For travel in NSW, vehicles operating at a height of between Appendix1. 4.3m and 4.6m under the Drought Assistance Notice must also operate on the NSW 4.6m high network. The 4.6m high vehicle routes can be viewed using the RMS online For more information interactive Restricted Access Vehicle Map at www.rms.nsw. Subscribe: www.nhvr.gov.au/subscribe gov.au/business-industry/heavy-vehicles/maps/restricted- Visit: www.nhvr.gov.au access-vehicles-map/map/index.html Email: [email protected] * General access Telephone: 1300 MYNHVR (1300 696 487) The following vehicles and combinations that comply with all © Copyright National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 2019, creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/au Disclaimer: This information is only a guide and should not be relied upon as legal advice. conditions of this notice have general access under this notice: *Standard 1300 call charges apply. Please check with your phone provider. • heavy rigid vehicles up to 12.5m in length www.nhvr.gov.au 2 Appendix 1 Participating Road Managers Local Road Manager Area Conditions of Travel Local Road Manager Area Conditions of Travel New South Wales Hawkesbury valley Way) Albury City Council NA 3. Fairey Rd. Windsor / South Windsor (James Meehan St to Armidale Regional Council NA Argyle St) Ballina Shire Council NA 4. Level Crossing Rd. Vineyard (Railway Rd South to Wallace Balranald Shire Council NA Rd) Bathurst City Council NA 5. Bandon Rd (Wallace Rd to James St) George St. Windsor / Bega Valley Council NA South Windsor (Brabyn St to Bell St) Railway overpass Bellingen Shire Council NA Bridge is restricted to 3.6m in height. Berrigan Shire Council NA 6. For rural local roads, where line marking does not exist Blacktown City Council NA these roads will generally be less than 6m wide, for safety reasons these roads will require further consideration. Bland Shire Council NA Hilltops Council NA Blayney Shire Council NA Hornsby Shire Council NA Blue Mountains City Council NA Hunter's Hill Council NA Bogan Shire Council NA Inverell Shire Council NA Bourke Shire Council NA Kempsey Shire Council NA Brewarrina Shire Council NA Ku-Ring-Gai Council NA Broken Hill City Council NA Kyogle Council NA Burwood Council NA Lachlan Shire Council NA Byron Shire Council NA Leeton Shire Council NA Cabonne Council NA Lismore City Council NA Camden Council NA Lithgow City Council NA Campbelltown City Council NA Liverpool Plains Shire Council NA Carrathool Shire Council Lockhart Shire Council NA 1. Any Shire roads that are unsealed are Dry Weather Access Only and may not be accessed when wet. Maitland City Council NA 2. No access is permitted through High Street, Hillston (the Manly Council NA section of MR80S Kidman Way); the Hillston Heavy Vehicle Mid-Coast Council NA Bypass must be used. Moree Plains Shire Council NA Central Darling Shire Council NA Murray River Council NA Cessnock City Council NA Murrumbidgee Council NA City of Parramatta Council NA Muswellbrook Shire Council NA Clarence Valley Council NA Nambucca Shire Council NA Cobar Shire Council NA Narrabri Shire Council NA Coffs Harbour City Council NA Narrandera Shire Council NA Coolamon Shire Council NA Narromine Shire Council NA Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Newcastle City Council NA NA Council New South Wales Ports NA Cumberland Council NA Oberon Council NA Dubbo Regional Council NA Orange City Council Dungog Shire Council NA 1.