State governments, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and various state farming and contracting groups have also joined in the call for feedback, as the NHVR is currently working on a universal set of regulations known as the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Notice.
The Notice aims to cover the authorisation and operation of agricultural vehicles and combinations on roads. This national Notice will replace existing transitional arrangements for agricultural operations in several states and will harmonise the dimension limits and standard operating conditions for agricultural vehicles and combinations.
Feedback to the NHVR is required to ensure the new Notice will allow safe movement of agricultural machinery on roads and cater for the trend towards wider and taller agricultural equipment.
The NHVR has already defined key issues for the development of the new, nationally-harmonised notice which include:
- Use of consistent definitions as set out in the Heavy Vehicle National Law and Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation).
- Maintain and expand the range of agricultural vehicles and combinations allowed to operate under notice.
- Implementation of a new national limit classification system for the determination of agricultural vehicle and combination access within the currently established state areas/zones (currently considering 5 classes).
- Improved consistency of access conditions.
- Use of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation regarding warning devices requirements.
- Improved consistency of night travel requirements.
- Consistent limits for length, height, width and rear overhang developed around the limit classification system. In some instances these dimensions may be increased.
- Speed restrictions while towing an implement with no brakes will be as per Schedule 8, Section 24 of the MDL Regulation.
- Harmonised mass limits.
- Improved consistency of load carrying conditions and braking requirements (conditional to implementation of towed ratios).
To make gathering feedback easier, there is an online survey which can be found HERE.
