HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW
Victoria Class 3 Livestock Carrier Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2019 (No.1)
- Purpose
This Notice provides mass and dimension exemptions that support the Victorian livestock loading scheme. This Notice is intended to work with the Information Bulletin for the Livestock Transport (Victoria) issued by VicRoads, and compliance with the rules in that Bulletin is a condition of this Notice.
Note: This notice works with the Information Bulletin for the Livestock Transport (Victoria) issued in August 2013 by VicRoads
Certain references in the Bulletin may be made to previous Victorian Government Gazettes, and to previous Victorian Law. In such cases, these references are deemed to be made to the corresponding sections of this Notice, and to the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
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 Victoria Class 3 Livestock Carrier Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2019.
4. Commencement
This notice commences on 10 February 2019.
5. Expiry
This notice expires on 9 February 2024.
6. Application
This notice applies to eligible vehicles operating in Victoria.
7. Interpretation – s 748 Savings Provisions with regard to the Bulletin
This Notice works with, and refers to, the Bulletin. Certain references in the Bulletin may be made to previous Victorian Government Gazettes, and to Victorian Law. In such cases, for the purpose of this Notice these references are made to the corresponding sections of this Notice, and to the Heavy Vehicle National Law as per the savings provisions in s748 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
Note: This provision is intended to allow the Bulletin to function until all references to previous Victorian legislation and instruments are updated.
8. Definition
(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 vehicle specified in s9 of this Notice.
General Access means access to all roads in Victoria, subject to the Victoria road rules and the heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
Loading space means the length available for the carriage of livestock on a trailer as measured from the inside of the front wall or door of the trailer to the inside of the rear wall or door of the trailer, with any intervening partitions disregarded.
Note: the definition of ‘loading space’ is the definition for the length available for carrying livestock set out in s4(8) of Schedule 6 of the MDL Regulation.
Livestock means livestock as specified in the Scheme.
Livestock carrier means a heavy vehicle that is a heavy vehicle or combination that is higher than 4.3m but not higher than 4.6m and is built to carry livestock.
Bulletin means the Victoria Information Bulletin on Livestock Transport published and administered by VicRoads, as amended from time to time.
Scheme certificate means a certificate showing vehicle ratings, tare weight and semi-trailer loading space issued under the Scheme.
9. Eligible Vehicles
(1) An eligible vehicle is a heavy vehicle that:
a) is a semi-trailer not more than 19m, or a nine axle B-double not more than 26m; and
b) is equipped with Road Friendly Suspension;
c) is equipped with dual tyres on all non-steering axles; and
d) is a livestock carrier.
(2) An eligible semi-trailer must have a tri-axle.
(3) An eligible B-double must have a tri-axle on each B-double trailer.
10. Exemption – Mass
(1) Eligible vehicles operating under this Notice are exempt from the following mass requirements in Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension & Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation):
a) section 2(1)(a)(iv) and 2(b);
b) section 4 and Table 1 (Axle mass limits table); and
c) section 5(1) and Table 2 (Axle spacing mass limits general table).
Note: Eligible vehicles and their components (including axles and tyres) are not exempt from exceeding manufacturer’s ratings and limits, including Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM), Gross Combination Mass (GCM) and Gross Trailer Mass (GTM).
11. Exemption – Dimension
(1) Eligible vehicles operating under this Notice are exempt from the following dimension requirements in Schedule 6 of the MDL Regulation:
a) Section 4(6) to 4(8) - Loading space for livestock
b) section 8 – Height
Note: The exemption for loading space is required because the dimension requirements in s4(6) and (7) in Schedule 6 of the MDL Regulation specify particular animals that may not cover the range of livestock allowed to be carried under this Notice. The concessional dimensions re-instated in this Notice are the same as those in the MDL Regulation.
12. Conditions – Stated Areas and Routes
(1) An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice has road network access depending on the vehicle configuration and networks set out below:
a) Prime-mover and semi-trailer combinations:- general access
b) B-Doubles:- on Gazetted roads for B-Doubles as per the Victoria Gazetted B-Double Networks.
Note: the B-Double network mentioned above is published on the VicRoads website.
13. Conditions – Mass limits (Prime Movers)
(1) The tare weight of a prime mover with fuel must not exceed 11 tonnes.
(2) The prime mover must have manufacturers’ ratings of at least:
a) steer axle - 6.0 tonnes;
b) drive axle group - 17.3 tonnes;
c) GVM - 23.3 tonnes;
d) GCM (single articulated) - 46.3 tonnes; and
e) GCM (B-double) - 68.0 tonnes.
14. Conditions – Mass Limits (Semi-Trailers)
(1) The tare weight of a semi-trailer must not exceed 12 tonnes.
(2) The total tare weight of the prime mover and semi-trailer must not exceed 22.0 tonnes.
Note: this is less than the sum of the allowable tare weights of the prime mover and the semi-trailer.
(3) The semi-trailer must have a manufacturer’s rating of least 25.0 tonnes.
15. Conditions – Mass (B-Doubles)
(1) The total tare weight of the two trailers in a B-double combination must not exceed 21.0 tonnes.
(2) The total tare weight of the combination must not exceed 32.0 tonnes.
16. Condition – Height
(1) An eligible vehicle operating under this notice must not exceed 4.6m in height by construction.
17. Condition – Dimension (Loading Space)
(1) The maximum loading space for livestock carriers is:
a) 12.5 metres for semi-trailers; and
b) a total of 18.8 metres for B-double trailers.
18. Condition – Axle Spacing
(1) for prime mover and semi-trailer combinations:
- 4.0 metres between the centre of the steering axle to the centre of the rear axle of the prime mover; and
- 6.2 metres from the centre of the rear axle of the prime mover to the centre of the first axle of the semi-trailer.
(2) for B-doubles, the axle and axle group spacings as specified in Table 3 in
Schedule 1 of the MDL Regulation.
19. Condition - Carriage of Livestock
(1) Deck level arrangements on any trailer operating under this Notice must comply with the Scheme requirements for a given animal.
(2) An eligible vehicle must not carry livestock in any upper deck unless the lower deck of the vehicle is fully loaded with livestock.
(3) An eligible vehicle must not carry any freight other than livestock.
20. Conditions – Carriage of Fuel and Water
(1) Fuel tanks must not be fitted to a semi-trailer operating under this Notice.
(2) Any water carried on the semi-trailer must be in quantities for personal use only.
21. Conditions- Victoria Information Bulletin on Livestock Transport
(1) An eligible combination operating under this notice must be registered in and comply with all of the requirements of the Victoria Information Bulletin on Livestock Transport, including but not limited to:
a) Eligible livestock; or
b) Driver accreditation; or
c) Vehicle certification.
Peter Caprioli
Executive Director (Freight and Supply Chain Productivity)
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator