Heavy Vehicle National Law - South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1)

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HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1)

  1. Purpose

 

This notice grants exemptions from dimension requirements for class 3 heavy vehicles that are transporting baled commodities.

 

2.       Authorising provision

 

1)      This notice is made under the following provision of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL):

 

a)      section 117 – Regulator’s power to exempt category of class 1 or 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement.

 

3.       Title

 

This exemption notice may be cited as the South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

 

4.       Commencement date

 

This notice commences on 10 February 2024.

 

5.       Expiry date

 

This notice expires on 9 February 2029.

 

6.       Definitions

 

1)      Unless otherwise stated, words and expressions used in this notice have the same meanings as those in the HVNL and its regulations.

 

2)      In this notice, definitions from the following notices apply:

 

a)      National Class 2 B-Double Authorisation Notice, as amended from time to time; and

b)      National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice, as amended from time to time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)      In this Notice:

Specified baled commodity means baled hay or baled wool.

Guide means the South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Operator’s Guide, as amended from time to time.

Round bale means a hay bale, rolled by machine, that forms a cylindrical shape.

7.       Application

 

1)      This notice applies to a class 3 heavy vehicle that meets all the requirements in this section.

 

2)      This notice applies to a heavy vehicle that is:

 

a)      a rigid truck fitted with a dual-drive tandem axle group and operated without a trailer; or

b)      a prime mover and a semitrailer on which the prime mover is fitted with a dual-drive tandem axle group and the semi-trailer is fitted with either a tandem or tri-axle group; or

c)       a B-double; or.

d)      a Modular B-Triple; or

e)      a Type 1 or Type 2 Road Train.

 

3)      This notice only applies to an eligible vehicle that is being used to transport a specified baled commodity.

 

4)      This notice applies in South Australia.

 

5)      A heavy vehicle to which this section applies and that complies with the conditions of this notice is an eligible vehicle.

 

8.       Exemption – Prescribed dimension requirements

 

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

 

a)      section 7 – Width

b)      section 8 – Height

 

2)      An exemption in 1) only applies to the extent that specific conditional dimension limits are provided in sections 9 and 10.

 

3)      In relation to a particular vehicle or component, if this notice provides for more than one dimension limit to apply in the same circumstances, the more restrictive dimension limit applies.

 

9.       Condition – Width

 

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

 

a)      For an eligible vehicle not exceeding 19m in length and transporting round bales – 3.5m

b)      For any other eligible vehicle – 2.75m.

 

2)      For this section, the width of a heavy vehicle must be measured in the same manner as in section 8 of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation.

 

10.   Conditions – Height

 

1)      An eligible vehicle that is one of the following combinations may exceed 4.3m in height but must not exceed 4.6m in height:

 

a)      Prime mover and semi-trailer combinations; or

b)      B-doubles; or

c)       Modular B-Triples; or

d)      Type 1 or Type 2 Road Trains.

 

2)      An eligible vehicle that is not a combination listed in 1) must not exceed 4.3m in height.

 

11.   Conditions –Ground contact width

 

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

 

2)      In this section, ground contact width means the distance between the outermost points of ground contact of the outside tyres on each end of an axle.

 

12.   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

 

 

 

13.   Condition – stated areas or routes

 

1)      An eligible vehicle complying with the conditions of this notice is authorised to operate on the areas and routes specified in this section.

 

2)      An eligible vehicle described in column 1 of Table 1 is authorized to operate on stated areas and routes specified by the network listed in column 2.

 

Table 1: Networks for categories of eligible vehicles

Column 1

Column 2

Eligible vehicle

Network

Any vehicle up to 19m in length that is not a truck and trailer combination, a B-double or a road train

General access

B-doubles up to 23m in length

23m B-double (GML)

B-doubles up to 26m in length

26m B-double (GML)

36.5m A-double (Type 1 Road Train)

35.0m B-Triple (Modular) (Type 1 Road Train)

36.5m B-Triple (Type 1 Road Train)

Eligible rigid truck combination (Type 1 Road Train)

36.5m Road Train (GML)

Commodity Routes – Road Train (GML)

36.5m AB-Triple (Type 1 Road Train)

36.5m BA-Triple

PBS Level 3A

42m AB-Triple (Type 2 Road Train)

42m BA-Triple

PBS Level 3B

Other eligible type 2 road trains

BA-Triple up to 44.0m long

53.5m Road Train (GML)

 

3)      For the purposes of section 119(1)(a) of the HVNL, an area or route specified in this section is a stated area or route to which this notice applies.

 

4)      Regardless of any access granted under this section, an eligible vehicle must comply with any conditions or restrictions applied to a stated area or route in the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the Guide.

 

5)      In this section general access means access to all roads in South Australia except as restricted by the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the Guide.

 

6)      An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this section must comply with the following conditions as specified for that route or area:

 

a)      Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and

b)      Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and

c)       Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

 

Peter Austin

Director, Policy Implementation

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Overview

The South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1), enacted under the authority of section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), aims to provide exemptions from certain dimension requirements for class 3 heavy vehicles transporting baled commodities. This exemption notice was introduced to facilitate the efficient and safe transportation of specified baled commodities, namely baled hay and baled wool, within South Australia by permitting certain heavy vehicles to exceed standard dimensional limits while ensuring compliance with other safety regulations. The notice was made by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and is designed to address operational challenges faced by transporters of baled commodities, ensuring that these vehicles can operate effectively within the specified parameters. The exemption notice outlines specific conditions under which class 3 heavy vehicles, including rigid trucks, prime movers with semitrailers, B-doubles, Modular B-Triples, and Type 1 or Type 2 Road Trains, are permitted to transport baled commodities. It provides exemptions from width and height restrictions under the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation, subject to certain conditions such as maximum width and height limits, and ground contact width requirements if the vehicle exceeds a certain height. Additionally, eligible vehicles must adhere to various safety conditions related to warning signs, lights, and route compliance as specified in the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation and the HVNL. This notice is effective from 10 February 2024 and will remain in force until 9 February 2029, providing a temporary solution to the identified problem of accommodating the transport of baled commodities within the regulatory framework.

Scope and Application

The South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1) applies to specific classes of heavy vehicles used to transport baled commodities in South Australia. This notice exempts eligible class 3 heavy vehicles from certain dimension requirements under the Heavy Vehicle National Law. Eligible vehicles include rigid trucks with a dual-drive tandem axle group, prime movers with semitrailers with a dual-drive tandem axle group, B-doubles, Modular B-Triples, and Type 1 or Type 2 Road Trains, provided they are transporting specified baled commodities, such as baled hay or baled wool. The notice imposes specific dimensional limits on the width and height of these vehicles, with conditions tailored to vehicle type and commodity type, and requires compliance with certain vehicle standards and operational conditions, such as the use of warning signs, lights, and compliance with road and travel conditions. The notice specifies areas and routes within South Australia where these vehicles can operate, subject to compliance with additional network requirements. The notice is in force from 10 February 2024 and will expire on 9 February 2029, unless otherwise extended or amended.

Key Provisions

The South Australia Class 3 Baled Commodity Exemption Notice 2024 (No. 1) provides exemptions from certain dimension requirements for specific class 3 heavy vehicles transporting baled commodities such as hay or wool. Section 8 exempts eligible vehicles from the width and height restrictions typically found in Schedule 6 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation). However, this exemption only applies to the extent that specific conditional limits are provided in sections 9 and 10. For instance, section 9 sets width requirements: vehicles not exceeding 19 metres in length transporting round bales must not exceed 3.5 metres in width, while any other eligible vehicles must not exceed 2.75 metres in width. Similarly, section 10 allows certain vehicle combinations to exceed 4.3 metres in height up to a maximum of 4.6 metres. Vehicles exceeding 4.3 metres in height must also ensure their ground contact width is greater than 2.1 metres. The notice imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. Firstly, eligible vehicles must comply with certain conditions related to their width and height as stipulated in sections 9 and 10. Secondly, these vehicles must adhere to specific requirements outlined in Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation, such as the use of warning signs, lights, and flags, and compliance with headlight, low visibility, and minimum following distance regulations. Additionally, eligible vehicles must operate on specified areas and routes, as detailed in Table 1 of section 13, while complying with road, travel, and vehicle conditions as per sections 160, 161, and 162 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). Breaches of the conditions outlined in this notice may result in civil or criminal consequences. While the notice does not explicitly state penalties, violations of the HVNL or its regulations generally attract fines and potential disqualification from operating heavy vehicles. For example, contravening dimensional requirements could lead to fines as per the penalties outlined in the HVNL. Furthermore, failing to comply with the conditions for warning signs, lights, or other safety requirements could result in enforcement actions by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, potentially leading to penalties or further regulatory sanctions.

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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.