National Class 2 Bus Authorisation Notice 2024 (No.1)

Administered by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Legislation au C2024G00055 In force Gazette

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HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

National Class 2 Bus Authorisation Notice 2024 (No.1)

  1. Purpose

 

This notice authorises the use of class 2 heavy vehicles that are buses, other than articulated buses, that are longer than 12.5m.

 

2.       Authorising provision

 

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

 

a)      section 138 – Regulator’s power to authorise use of all or stated categories of class 2 heavy vehicles

 

3.       Title

 

This notice may be cited as the National Class 2 Bus Authorisation 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:

 

Guide means the National Controlled Access Bus Operator’s Guide, as amended from time to time.

 


7.       Application

 

1)      This authorisation notice applies to a class 2 vehicle that is a bus, other than an articulated bus, that is longer than 12.5m.

 

2)      This Notice applies in all participating jurisdictions.

 

3)      This notice applies in a participating jurisdiction subject to the conditions provided in the body of this notice and the conditions of the Schedule relevant to that jurisdiction.

 

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

 

8.       Condition – stated areas or routes

 

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

 

2)      For the purposes of section 138(1)(a) of the HVNL, an area or route specified in this section is a stated area or route to which this notice applies.

 

3)      An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this section must comply with any of the following conditions prescribed for that area or route:

 

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


Schedule 1 Australian Capital territory

  1. Application

 

This Schedule applies in the Australian Capital Territory.

 

2.       Condition – Stated routes and areas (Networks)

 

1)      Pursuant to the authorisation granted in section 8 of this notice, an eligible vehicle meeting the requirements of this notice and this Schedule may operate on the routes and areas specified in the following network:

Approved routes for 14.5m Controlled Access Bus

2)      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.

 


Schedule 2 New South Wales

  1. Application

 

This Schedule applies in New South Wales.

 

2.       Condition – Stated routes and areas (Networks)

 

1)      Pursuant to the authorisation granted in section 8 of this notice, an eligible vehicle meeting the requirements of this Notice and this Schedule may operate on the routes and areas specified in the following network:

New South Wales Controlled Access Bus (CAB) Network Map

2)      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.


Schedule 3 Queensland

 

  1. Application

 

This schedule applies in Queensland.

 

2.       Condition – Stated routes and areas

 

1)      Pursuant to the authorisation granted in section 8 of this notice, an eligible vehicle may operate on:

 

a)      All State controlled roads except those restricted by the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements published in the Guide; and

 

b)      Local government roads as set out in the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements published in the Guide.

 

2)      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.


Schedule 4 South Australia

 

  1. Application

 

This schedule applies in South Australia.

 

2.       Condition – stated areas and routes

 

1)      Pursuant to the authorisation granted in section 8 of this notice, an eligible vehicle may operate in the areas and on the routes specified in this section.

 

2)      An eligible vehicle that does not exceed 13.7m in length has general access.

 

3)      An eligible vehicle exceeding 13.7m in length may operate on the routes and areas specified in the following network:

Controlled Access Bus up to 14.5m

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 except as restricted by the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the Guide.

 

 


Schedule 5 Tasmania

  1. Application

 

This Schedule applies in Tasmania.

 

2.       Condition – Stated routes and areas (Networks)

 

1)      Pursuant to the authorisation granted in section 8 of this notice, an eligible vehicle meeting the requirements of this Notice and this Schedule may operate on the routes and areas specified in the following network:

Tasmanian 14.5m Long Controlled Access Buses Network

2)      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.

 


Schedule 6 Victoria

  1. Application

 

This Schedule applies in Victoria.

 

2.       Condition – Stated routes and areas (Networks)

 

1)      Pursuant to the authorisation granted in section 8 of this notice, an eligible vehicle meeting the requirements of this Notice and this Schedule may operate on the routes and areas specified in the following network:

Victoria Controlled Access Bus Network

2)      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.

 

Overview

The National Class 2 Bus Authorisation Notice 2024 (No.1) was introduced to address the need for the regulation of the use of longer class 2 buses in Australia. Enacted under section 138 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), this notice is authorised by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and comes into effect on 10 February 2024. The primary objective of this notice is to establish conditions under which class 2 buses, excluding articulated buses, that exceed 12.5 meters in length can operate in participating jurisdictions, ensuring safety and compliance with specified road and travel conditions. This notice will expire on 9 February 2029, providing a temporary framework for the operation of these vehicles until further legislative adjustments are made.

Scope and Application

The National Class 2 Bus Authorisation Notice 2024 (No.1) applies to class 2 heavy vehicles that are buses, excluding articulated buses, and are longer than 12.5 meters. This notice is issued under the authority of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and operates in all participating jurisdictions across Australia, with specific conditions detailed for each jurisdiction in the accompanying schedules. The notice, which comes into effect on 10 February 2024 and expires on 9 February 2029, authorises the use of eligible vehicles that comply with the conditions set out in the notice and the respective schedules. Vehicles that meet these criteria are considered eligible and are authorised to operate on specified areas and routes within each jurisdiction, subject to adherence to road, travel, and vehicle conditions as prescribed under the HVNL. The notice ensures that eligible vehicles must also comply with any additional conditions or restrictions set by the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements published in the National Controlled Access Bus Operator’s Guide.

Key Provisions

The National Class 2 Bus Authorisation Notice 2024 (No.1) authorises the use of class 2 buses that are longer than 12.5m, excluding articulated buses. This notice is made under section 138 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), which allows the Regulator to authorise the use of specified categories of class 2 heavy vehicles (section 2(1)(a)). The notice applies to all participating jurisdictions and specifies that any class 2 vehicle that meets the conditions of this notice is considered an eligible vehicle (section 7(2)). In each participating jurisdiction, eligible vehicles are authorised to operate on specified areas and routes, subject to the conditions laid out in the notice and the conditions of the relevant schedule (section 8). Entities and individuals governed by this notice must ensure that any class 2 bus longer than 12.5m complies with the conditions of the notice and the relevant schedule. This includes adhering to road, travel, and vehicle conditions as stipulated in sections 160, 161, and 162 of the HVNL, respectively (section 8(3)). Furthermore, eligible vehicles must comply with any conditions or restrictions specified in the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements in the National Controlled Access Bus Operator’s Guide (section 8(4)). Any breach of the conditions outlined in this notice can result in significant consequences. While the notice does not explicitly state penalties, violations of conditions under the HVNL generally result in civil penalties for corporations and individuals. For corporations, the maximum penalty can be substantial, often up to $5.25 million for serious offences (section 264 of the HVNL). For individuals, the penalties can include fines of up to $22,200 and, in some cases, imprisonment. Additionally, offences under the HVNL can also lead to the disqualification of drivers, affecting their ability to operate heavy vehicles in the future (section 265 of the HVNL). Therefore, compliance with the notice is critical to avoid these potential legal and financial repercussions.

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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.