Heavy Vehicle National Law - Multi-State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No 1)

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Heavy Vehicle National Law

Multi State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No 1)

 

  1. Purpose

The purpose of this notice is to allow specified  Type 1 road train combinations transporting cotton modules between cotton farms and cotton gins to be exempted from prescribed dimension requirements in Schedule 6, Part 2 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation and requirements in Schedule 3 of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation.

2.       Authorising Provision

This notice is made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and section 61 of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation (HV(VS)NR).

3.       Revocation

This notice revokes Part 1 of the Queensland Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Road Train Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2016.

Note:-  Part 1 of the Queensland Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Road Train Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2016 provided the same dimension exemption as the current notice applies. The exemptions from Part 1 of the Queensland-only Notice have been adopted in this Multi-state Notice in full.

4.       Title

This notice may be cited as the Multi-State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Road Train Cotton Transportation) Exemption Notice 2017

5.       Commencement

This Notice commences on the date of publication.

6.       Expiry

This Notice expires five years after the date of publication.

 

7.       Application

This notice applies to eligible vehicles operating in Queensland and New South Wales.

 

8.       Routes and Areas

1)      In Queensland, this notice applies to the routes and areas set out in Schedule 1

2)      In New South Wales, this notice applies to the routes and areas set out in Schedule 2.

9.       Dimension Exemption

1)      An eligible vehicle transporting round cotton modules operating under this Notice is exempt from the following requirements of Schedule 6, Part 2 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation:

a)      Section 4(2); and

b)      Section 4(3).

10.   Definitions

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:

Eligible Vehicle means a road train that has no more than 2 trailers and that is no longer than 36.5 metres.

Note:-  this definition corresponds to the configuration commonly referred to as a Type 1 A-double road train.

11.   Vehicle Standards Exemption

An eligible vehicle transporting round cotton modules and operating under this part is exempted from the requirements in Schedule 3, Part 5, s29(b) of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation.

12.   Conditions

1)      An eligible vehicle may transport up to six round cotton modules on each trailer.

2)      The trailers must not exceed any of the following dimensions:

a)      For the first trailer:

  1. the distance from the front articulation point to the rear of that trailer must not be more than 12.75m; and
  2. the tow coupling overhang distance between the vertical axis of the ‘Coupling’ pivot may exceed 0.3m but must be no more than 0.75m forward from the rear-most projection of the trailer.

b)      For the second trailer:

  1. the radius from the centre and forward of the front articulation point must not exceed 2.45m; and
  2. any extension outside of the line created by drawing a
    semi-circle with 1.9m radius from the centre and forward of the front articulation point must be positioned symmetrically about the longitudinal centreline and must lie within total 1.5m wide.

3)      Sufficient clearance must exist between the first and second trailer so no part of the load or combination can contact each other under all operating conditions, other than electrical, hydraulic or mechanical couplings:

Note:-  examples of couplings include air lines, hoses, electrical couplings and other connections required for the operation of either trailer.

 

 

DATED: 27 February 2017

 

Peter Caprioli

Executive Director Access

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator


Schedule 1 Queensland

 

  1. Stated Areas and Routes- Queensland

An eligible vehicle operating in Queensland may only use the type 1 and type 2 road train areas and routes shown on the Multi-combination Routes in Queensland maps published by the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

 

Note: the Queensland Multi-Combination Routes may be found at:

 http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Heavy-vehicles/Multi-combination-vehicles/Maps.aspx


Schedule 2 New South Wales

 

  1. Conditions

1)      Trailer bracket/extensions must be minimised as far as practicable when travelling unladen.

2.       Stated Areas and Routes- New South Wales

1)        An eligible vehicle operating at GML or CML in New South Wales may use the map and/or list of routes published as ‘GML Type 1 A-double road train routes’ by the New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services at: www.rms.nsw.gov.au/rav-gml-networks.

 

2)        An eligible vehicle operating at HML in New South Wales may use the map and/or list of routes published as ‘HML Type 1 A-double road train routesby the New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services at: www.rms.nsw.gov.au/rav-hml-networks

Overview

The Heavy Vehicle National Law Multi State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No 1) was enacted to provide a multi-state exemption from certain dimension and vehicle standards requirements for Type 1 road train combinations transporting cotton modules between cotton farms and cotton gins in Queensland and New South Wales. This Notice was introduced to address the need for flexibility in the transportation of cotton modules, given the specific requirements of the cotton industry. Authorised under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law and section 61 of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation, the Notice revokes the earlier Queensland-only exemption notice, aligning the exemption criteria across both states. Its primary objective is to facilitate the efficient and compliant transportation of cotton modules, thereby supporting the agricultural sector. The Notice applies to eligible vehicles operating in the specified routes and areas within Queensland and New South Wales and exempts these vehicles from certain dimension and vehicle standards requirements, subject to specific conditions regarding the number and configuration of trailers and the dimensions of the trailers themselves.

Scope and Application

The Multi-State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Road Train Cotton Transportation) Exemption Notice 2017 applies to eligible vehicles operating in Queensland and New South Wales, specifically targeting road trains used for the transportation of cotton modules between cotton farms and cotton gins. This notice is designed to provide a dimension exemption from certain requirements in the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation and the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation. Eligible vehicles, defined as road trains with no more than two trailers and a total length of no more than 36.5 metres, are exempt from specific dimensional constraints when transporting round cotton modules. The notice applies to defined routes and areas in both Queensland and New South Wales, as detailed in Schedules 1 and 2 of the notice, respectively. The exemption is in place to facilitate the efficient movement of cotton modules while adhering to certain conditions, such as the maximum number of modules per trailer and dimensional restrictions for the trailers themselves. The notice revokes the previous Queensland-only exemption notice and extends its application to a multi-state context, effective from the date of publication and expiring five years later.

Key Provisions

The Heavy Vehicle National Law Multi State Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No 1) primarily aims to facilitate the transportation of cotton modules by exempting specified Type 1 road trains from certain dimensional requirements under the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation and vehicle standards under the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation. This exemption applies to road trains transporting cotton modules between cotton farms and cotton gins in Queensland and New South Wales (sections 9 and 11). These vehicles, referred to as "eligible vehicles," must comply with specific dimensional constraints and operational conditions (section 12). Eligible vehicles, defined as road trains with no more than two trailers and a maximum length of 36.5 metres, must adhere to strict dimensional limits. For the first trailer, the distance from the front articulation point to the rear must not exceed 12.75 metres, and the tow coupling overhang must be within 0.3 to 0.75 metres forward from the rear-most projection of the trailer (section 12(a)). The second trailer must have a radius from the centre and forward of the front articulation point that does not exceed 2.45 metres, with any extensions positioned symmetrically and within 1.5 metres wide about the longitudinal centreline (section 12(b)). Additionally, the trailers must maintain sufficient clearance to prevent contact between the load or combination under all operating conditions (section 12(c)). The Notice mandates that eligible vehicles can transport up to six round cotton modules per trailer, with trailer bracket or extension minimised when unladen (section 12(a)(1)). Failure to comply with these provisions can result in penalties under the relevant national regulations. Although the Notice itself does not specify penalties, breaches of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation and Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation may incur fines and other civil or criminal consequences as prescribed by those regulations. The Notice revokes the Queensland Class 3 Heavy Vehicle (Road Train Cotton Transportation) Dimension Exemption Notice 2016 and comes into effect on the date of publication, expiring five years later (sections 3 and 6).

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.