Heavy Vehicle National Law - South Australia Class 3 Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-Double Livestock Loading Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No. 1)

HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

South Australia Class 3 Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-Double Livestock Loading Mass Exemption Notice 2019 (No. 1)

Purpose

1. The purpose of this Notice is to exempt the use of Class 3 Articulated Motor Vehicles and B-doubles from:

(a)    stated mass limits in Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (the Regulation) and  

(b)    to allow for a specific length exemption for specific 27.5m B-Doubles carrying livestock on a specific route.

Note – This instrument is an exemption from the heavy vehicle mass limits for Articulated Motor Vehicles and B-doubles specifically built for carrying livestock.  This instrument does NOT exempt these vehicles from other requirements of the Heavy Vehicle National Law including, but not limited to, vehicle standards and other dimension requirements.

Authorising provision

2.                   This Notice is made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law as in force in each participating jurisdiction (HVNL).

Title

3.       This Notice may be cited as the South Australia Class 3 Articulated Motor Vehicle And B-Double Livestock Loading Mass Exemption Notice 2019.

Commencement

4.       This Notice commences on 10 February 2019.

Expiry

5.       This Notice expires on 9 February 2024.

Definitions

6.       Unless otherwise stated, words and expressions used in this Notice have the same meanings as those defined in the HVNL.

7.       In this Notice:

Articulated Motor Vehicle means a combination consisting of a prime mover towing 1 semi-trailer.

Guideline means the South Australia Network Restrictions Guideline published by the South Australia Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI)

Livestock when referring to a load, means cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, goats or other livestock.

Application

8.       This Notice applies only in South Australia.

9.       In addition to the requirements of this Notice, Articulated Motor Vehicles and B-Doubles built to carry livestock, that are higher than 4.3m but not higher than 4.6m must comply with and operate in accordance with the National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle 4.6m High Livestock Carrier Authorisation (Notice) 2014 (No.1) and the South Australian Schedule to that Notice, except where varied by this Notice.

Exemption from prescribed mass limits

10.   This Notice exempts—

(a)    An Articulated Motor Vehicle or B-double built to carry livestock from the—

1.       mass limit applicable to a tandem axle group fitted with dual tyres; and the
2.       mass limit applicable to a tri-axle group fitted with dual tyres;—

in Table 1 – Axle mass limit table, Schedule 1, Part 2 of the Regulation, and

(b)    an Articulated Motor Vehicle from the Gross Combination Mass Limit in Schedule 1, Part 1, Clause 2(1)(a)(iv), and the upper limit of 42.5t in Part 2, Table 2, and

(c)     a B-double from the upper limit of 62.5t in Part 2, Table 3.

Conditions

11.   For an Articulated Motor Vehicle, the prime mover must be fitted with a single steer axle and a dual-drive tandem axle group and the semi-trailer must be fitted with a tri-axle group.

12.   For a B-double, the prime mover must be fitted with a single steer axle and a dual-drive tandem axle group and the semi-trailers must be fitted with tri-axle groups.

13.   Except for the steer axle, all axles of the Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-double must be fitted with dual tyres.

14.   The load must consist solely of livestock. General freight must not be carried.

15.   The load within a trailer must consist only of one specific type of livestock. Mixed loading is not permitted. In the case of a B-double, a different type of livestock may be carried in each trailer.

16.   Only semi-trailers that have at least two appropriately spaced and constructed pens per deck for cattle and four pens per deck for pigs, sheep and goats must be used.

17.   The number of decks shall be restricted to two decks for cattle, three decks for pigs and four decks for sheep and goats.

18.   The prime mover must have a minimum rated capacity as follows;

(a)    Front Axle – 6t

(b)    Dual-drive tandem axle group – 17.3t

(c)     Gross vehicle Mass – 23.3t

(d)    Gross Combination Mass – Articulated Motor Vehicle prime mover – 48.3t

(e)    Gross Combination Mass – B-double prime mover – 73.3t.

19.   The semi-trailers must have a minimum tri-axle group rating of 25.0t.

20.   The unladen mass of the prime mover must not be greater than 12.0t

21.   The unladen mass of the semi-trailer used in the Articulated Motor Vehicle and the second semi-trailer of a B-double must not be greater than 15.0t.

22.   The unladen mass of the lead semi-trailer in a B-double must not be greater than 12.0t.

23.   The ‘D’ rating for the fifth wheel couplings and kingpins for a B-double must not be less than 119kN.

Note: The Articulated Motor Vehicle and B-double must have the rated vehicle capacities to operate at the mass, at the time when operating under this Notice, in accordance with Part 2, Division 1, Section 8 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulations.

24.   An articulated motor vehicle or B-Double operating in South Australia must either:

(a)    Hold maintenance management accreditation for all vehicles and components of the combination; or

(b)    Be subject to periodic inspection, in line with requirements in the jurisdiction of registration, or where regulator periodic inspection is not a requirement, in accordance with South Australia Heavy Vehicle inspection schedules.

Note: All vehicles must comply with the Livestock Loading scheme and labelling requirements in the jurisdiction of registration.  

Nothing in this notice exempts the driver or operator of the vehicle from complying with legislation regulating the use of heavy vehicles, including but not limited to:

1. compliance with mass and  other dimension requirements in the HVNL;
2. compliance with traffic signs, including those indicating mass limits or dimension limits;
3. compliance with vehicle standards in the HVNL; and
4. compliance with lawful directions of authorised officers.

Condition - Stated Areas or Routes

25.   An Articulated Motor Vehicle may use all roads in South Australia, except as limited under the Information Bulletin – Area or Routes of Operation – Livestock Loading Mass Exemption.

26.   B-double combinations may use the routes set out in Appendix 1 of this notice.

Conditions – 27.5m long B-doubles transport livestock

27.   A B-Double may operate up to 27.5m long if it complies with the following conditions:

(a)    The B-double is transporting livestock from the South Australia/Western Australia border to Dublin, South Australia, via the route specified in (d).

(b)    The S-dimension of the combination does not exceed 20.6m.

(c)     B-doubles operating under this section are restricted to travel on the PBS Level 3A network following the stated route to Dublin, South Australia. The stated route is via the following roads:

1. Eyre Highway from the Western Australia Border to Port Augusta; then
2. Victoria Parade, Port Augusta; then
3. Augusta Highway; then
4. Port Wakefield Highway to the intersection of Carslake Road, Dublin; then
5. Carslake Road, Dublin.

(d)    A B-double operating under this section must terminate its journey at a livestock feedlot on Carslake Road, Dublin, and unload all livestock.

(e)    An unladen B-Double that has terminated its journey according to d) and e) may return to the Western Australia border via the reverse same route as specified in d.

(f)     This notice does not in any way exempt B-doubles operating under this notice from complying with the requirements of sections 11 to 24 of this Notice.

(g)    B-doubles operating under this section may not use any of the stated routes in Appendix 1 of this Notice.

 Note:- the intent of this section is to allow 27.5m long B-doubles that meet the relevant conditions to transport livestock from the Western Australia border to feedlots in Dublin, South Australia by a specific route, and then return by the same route. It is not intended to provide for 27.5m long B-Doubles to operate on any other route in South Australia than the one specified, or for any other purpose.

Peter Caprioli

Executive Director (Freight and Supply Chain Productivity)

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Appendix 1

1. B-doubles operating under this Notice may use the following network maintained on the DPTI RAVnet map system, and published on its website:

“26m B-double (GML)”

2.       Access provided in 1. above excludes:

a)      B-double commodity routes; and

b)      Any routes in the Adelaide Hills Area, as specified in the Approved Areas or Routes on DPTI’s website; and

c)       Any other routes restricted by the Information Bulletin – Area or Routes of Operation – Livestock Loading Mass Exemption published on DPTI’s website.