Heavy Vehicle National Law South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

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Legislation au C2019G00135 In force Gazette

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HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)

1        Purpose

This Notice provides an exemption from height and width dimension requirements for certain configurations of heavy vehicles while they are transporting baled commodities. Vehicles operating under this Notice may operate up to the height and width limits specified provided that they meet the specified conditions.

Note: This Notice replaces the following South Australia notices upon their expiry:

 Operation of B-double vehicles carting rectangular Baled Hay loaded to a height of 4.6m

Transport of Large Rectangular Baled Hay

Exemption for the transport of baled wool and/or baled hay to exceed a width of 2.5 metres

Exemption for articulated motor vehicles transporting baled wool to exceed a height of 4.3 metres

2        Authorising Provision

This Notice is made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

3        Title

This Notice may be cited as the South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019.

4        Commencement

This Notice commences on 10 February 2019.

5        Expiry

This Notice expires on 9 February 2024.

6        Definitions

In this Notice—

 

eligible vehicle means a heavy vehicle or heavy vehicle combination to which section 7 and section 8 apply.

 

specified baled commodity means baled hay or baled wool.

7        Application –  Vehicles

(1)   This Notice applies to a heavy vehicle or a heavy vehicle combination vehicle that is a:

(a)     Rigid trucks fitted with a tandem drive axle group and operated without a trailer.

(b)    Articulated vehicles where the prime mover is fitted with a tandem drive axle group and the semi-trailer is fitted with either a tandem or triaxle group.

(c)     B-doubles.

(d)    Modular B-Triples.

(e)     Type 1 and Type 2 Road Trains.

8        Application – Baled Commodities

(1)   This Notice applies to an eligible vehicle that is being used to transport a specified baled commodity.

9        Exemption from prescribed dimension requirements

(1)   An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following dimension requirements of Schedule 6 of the Heavy Vehicle (MDL) National  Regulation (Regulation):

(a)     Section 7(1): Width; and

(b)    Section 8(d): Height.

10    Conditions – Width

(1)   An eligible vehicle operating under this notice must not exceed the following width requirements:

(a)     Eligible vehicles not exceeding 19m in length and transporting round bales – 3.5m

(b)    Any other eligible vehicle operating under this Notice – 2.75m.

11    Conditions – Height

(1)   An eligible vehicle that is one of the following combinations may be up to 4.6m in height:

(a)     Prime mover and semi-trailer combination; or

(b)    B-double;

(c)     Modular B-Triples, or

(d)    Type 1 and Type 2 Road Trains.

(2)   An eligible vehicle that is not a combination listed in 1) must not be more than 4.3m in height.

 

 

 

 

 

12    Conditions – General

(1)   If an eligible vehicle is more than 4.3m in height, the ground contact width of that eligible vehicle must be greater than 2.1m.

(2)   An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice must be loaded in a manner that makes the load as symmetrical as possible across the width of the vehicle.

(3)   An eligible vehicle more than 2.5m wide must not operate between the hours of sunset and sunrise.

13    Conditions: Approved Routes and Travel Conditions

(1)   An eligible vehicle may travel on the following routes:

(a)     B-doubles may only operate on approved routes outlined in Schedule 3 of the National Class 2 Heavy Vehicle B-double Authorisation Notice.

(b)    Modular B-triples and Type 1 and 2 Road Trains may only operate on approved routes outlined in Schedule 3 of the National class 2 Heavy Vehicle Road Train Authorisation Notice.

(c)     A vehicle that is a truck and dog combination up to 23m in length may only operate on the approved routes outlined in the South Australia Class 3 heavy Vehicle 23m Truck and Dog Trailer Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice.

(d)    All other of vehicles and combinations up to 19m in length that comply with all conditions of this notice have general access under this notice.

(2)   In addition to routes or areas specified under 1), an eligible vehicle must comply with the specified route and area requirements set out in Appendix 1.

14    Conditions: Application of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation

(1)   An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice must comply with the following conditions from Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation as though a reference to a Class1 vehicle were a reference to the eligible vehicle:

a)      Section 2 - Warning Signs and Flags

b)      Section 3 - Warning lights and delineators if load projecting from vehicle

c)      Section 6 – Headlights

d)      Section 8 - No travelling in low visibility

e)      Section 9 - Minimum following distance

f)       Section 11 - Assessing routes

(2)   The applications of the conditions in 1) are superseded by specific provisions in Appendix 1 if any conflict occurs.

 

Peter Caprioli

Executive Director (Freight and Supply Chain Productivity)

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Schedule 1 - Travel Restrictions

 

  1. Times of Travel

(1)   You must not travel in the Adelaide Metropolitan Area between the hours of 7 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 6 pm, Monday to Friday inclusive.

2.      Restricted Routes and Structures

(1)   An operator of an eligible vehicle that is higher than 4.3m or wider than 2.5m:

g)      must comply with the specified route, area and structure restrictions published on the ‘Approved Areas or Routes’ section on the DPTI website, and

h)      may be required to consult and obtain consent from third party entities who manage utilities which may be impacted by over height vehicles.

 

Note: Some routes in the Adelaide Metropolitan Area have height restrictions less than 4.3m.

Contact details for SAPN, Telstra and Optus are available on the NHVR website.

 

Overview

The Heavy Vehicle National Law, enacted in 2019, aims to standardise heavy vehicle regulations across Australia, addressing the need for a cohesive and efficient national framework for the operation and regulation of heavy vehicles. The South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1) was introduced under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, with the policy objective to provide an exemption from height and width dimension requirements for certain heavy vehicle configurations while transporting baled commodities such as hay and wool. This Notice allows specified heavy vehicles to operate within certain height and width limits, provided they adhere to conditions that ensure safety and minimal impact on the infrastructure. It replaces previous exemptions, consolidating regulatory requirements and enhancing compliance for operators in South Australia.

Scope and Application

The South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019 provides exemptions from certain dimension requirements for heavy vehicles transporting baled commodities such as hay and wool within South Australia. This Notice applies to specific heavy vehicles and combinations, including rigid trucks, articulated vehicles, B-doubles, modular B-triples, and Type 1 and Type 2 road trains, when transporting eligible baled commodities. It exempts these vehicles from the prescribed width and height limitations, subject to conditions that ensure safe operation and minimal impact on the road infrastructure. The exemption is valid until February 2024 and applies only to vehicles that adhere to specified width and height limits and operational conditions, including restrictions on vehicle width and operating hours, and requirements for symmetrical loading and approved routes. This Notice does not apply to any other vehicles or commodities not specified within its terms, and its provisions can be extended or modified through subordinate instruments as necessary.

Key Provisions

The key provisions of the South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1) primarily revolve around the exemption from certain dimension requirements for specified heavy vehicles transporting baled commodities (sections 6 and 9). This Notice, which commences on 10 February 2019 and expires on 9 February 2024, applies to various types of eligible vehicles, including rigid trucks, articulated vehicles, B-doubles, modular B-triples, and Type 1 and Type 2 road trains (sections 7 and 8). The exemption allows these vehicles to exceed the usual width and height limits when transporting baled hay or baled wool, provided they adhere to certain conditions (section 10). The Notice imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. For instance, eligible vehicles must not exceed specific width limits based on the type of vehicle and the type of bales being transported (section 10(1)). Similarly, height limits are imposed depending on the vehicle configuration, with certain combinations allowed to be up to 4.6m high and others limited to 4.3m (section 11(1)). Additionally, vehicles must ensure the load is as symmetrical as possible, and those exceeding 4.3m in height must have a ground contact width greater than 2.1m (section 12(1) and (2)). Vehicles over 2.5m wide are also restricted from operating between sunset and sunrise (section 12(3)). Furthermore, eligible vehicles must comply with specific route and travel condition requirements and must adhere to certain conditions from Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation (sections 13 and 14). Breaches of the conditions outlined in the Notice can lead to various civil and criminal consequences. For example, operating a vehicle that does not comply with the specified width or height limits, or that fails to adhere to the travel conditions, may result in enforcement actions under the Heavy Vehicle National Law. While the Notice itself does not specify penalties, breaches of related regulations could result in fines and other sanctions as outlined in the relevant legislation. Operators should be aware that failure to comply with these conditions may lead to their vehicles being deemed non-compliant, potentially resulting in legal repercussions.

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Area of Law
Transport Law
Instrument
Notice
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Regulatory Standards
Exemptions & Exclusions
Catchwords
Conditions for Exemption
Transport of Baled Commodities

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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.