New South Wales Class 1 4-Axle & 5-Axle All Terrain Mobile Crane Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1)

HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

New South Wales Class 1 4-Axle & 5-Axle All Terrain Mobile Crane Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1)

1.              Purpose

1.     The purpose of this notice is to exempt stated Class 1 heavy vehicles from the prescribed mass requirements and prescribed dimension requirements specified in the notice, subject to the conditions specified in the notice and the accompanying Operator’s Guide.

1.     This notice revokes and replaces the New South Wales Class 1 4-Axle & 5-Axle All Terrain Mobile Crane Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

1.              Authorising Provision

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

1.     section 117 – Regulator’s power to exempt category of class 1 or 3 heavy vehicles from compliance with mass or dimension requirement.
2.     section 23 of Schedule 1 – Regulator’s power to amend or repeal instrument.

1.              Title

This notice may be cited as the NSW Class 1 4-Axle & 5-Axle All Terrain Mobile Crane Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice 2026 (No.1).

1.              Commencement

This notice commences 29 May 2026.

1.              Expiry

This notice expires 19 July 2029.

1.              Definitions

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

1.     A reference in this notice to a heavy vehicle includes a reference to its load except where the context or subject otherwise indicates or requires.

1.     In this notice:

All terrain mobile crane means a special purpose vehicle that has all of the following features and requirements:

1.     is a mobile crane with either 4 axles or 5 axles; and
2.     has two tyres per axle; and
3.      has at least 50% of its axles steerable; and
4.     is not a truck mounted special purpose vehicle; and
5.     has on road and off road capability.

Axle spacing means the distance between the centre of an axle and the centre of another axle.

Ground contact width (GCW) means:

1.     in relation to an axle, the distance between the outermost point of ground contact of the outside tyres on each end of the axle; or
2.     in relation to an axle group, the greatest ground contact width of all the axles in the group.

HVNL means the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

MDL Regulation means the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation.

Mobile crane means a heavy motor vehicle that is:

1.     equipped with a crane or other lifting device; and
2.     designed primarily for raising, moving and lowering a freely suspended load.

Operator’s Guide means the New South Wales Class 1 4-axle and 5-axle All Terrain Mobile Crane Operator’s Guide published by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, as amended from time to time.

SPV means a special purpose vehicle as defined in section 116 of the HVNL.

1.              Application

1.     This notice applies to a 4 or 5 axle all-terrain mobile crane operating in New South Wales.

1.     A 4 or 5 axle all-terrain mobile crane that complies with this notice is an eligible vehicle.

1.              Exemption - Prescribed mass requirements

1.     An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following mass requirements of Schedule 1 to the MDL Regulation:

1.     section 2(1)(a)(iv) and 2(1)(b);
2.     section 4 and Table 1 (Axle mass limits table); and
3.      section 5(1) and Table 2 (Axle spacing mass limits general table).

1.              Exemption – Prescribed dimension requirements

1.     An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following dimension requirements of Schedule 6 of the MDL Regulation:

1.     section 3(1)(g) – Length; and
2.     section 5(1)(c) – Rear overhang; and
3.      section 7(1) – Width; and
4.     section 8 – Height.

1.          Conditions - Dimension requirements (General)

1.     An eligible vehicle must not exceed any of the following dimension limits:

1.     17.0m length; and
2.     3.5m width; and
3.      4.6m height; and
4.     a projection in front of the centre of the steering wheel of 3.5m.

1.          Conditions – Dimensions (Rear Overhang)

For an eligible vehicle the maximum rear overhang must comply with the dimension limits mentioned in Table 1.

Table 1 Rear overhang dimension requirements

1.          Dimension requirements – Axle spacing and GCW

1.     An eligible vehicle of a mass given in Column 1 operating under this notice must meet the axle spacing, axle mass limits and GCW requirements for the corresponding network specified in Column 9 of Table 2.

1.     Network access specified in Column 9 is subject to Road Manager approval under section 17 of this notice.

Table 2 Axle Spacing for a 4 or 5 Axle All Terrain Mobile Crane

*Maximum of any three (3) axles at 12t, with remaining axles not to exceed 11t. Total mass not to exceed 55t.

1.          Condition – Intelligent Access Program

1.     An eligible vehicle that is a crane exceeding 2.5m in width must be enrolled in and comply with Intelligent Access Program (IAP) or Telematics Monitoring Application (TMA) as applied in New South Wales and as approved by Transport Certification Australia.

1.     Pursuant to section 402(1)(a) and (b) of Chapter 7 of the HVNL, the following conditions of this notice are intelligent access program conditions:

1.     any condition relating to mass or dimensions; and
2.     any condition relating to stated areas or routes to which the authority applies, including any relating to speed or time of travel.

1.     Pursuant to section 402(1)(c) of Chapter 7 of the HVNL, an eligible vehicle must be enrolled in and comply with an approved intelligent transport system specified in this section.

1.          Conditions - General

The section width of each tyre on an eligible vehicle must be at least 406mm.

1.          Disapplication of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation

1.     The following provisions of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation are disapplied for eligible vehicles operating under this notice:

1.     Section 7 – Travel restrictions at night.

Note: The Operator’s Guide specifies requirements relating to night travel for particular routes or areas relating to travel at night.

1.          Condition - Additional requirements to section 17(2) of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation

In addition to the requirements set out in Schedule 8, section 17(2) of the MDL Regulation, a pattern covering an area of at least 0.16m2 and consisting of diagonal stripes at least 150mm wide and alternatively coloured red and white, or black and white, must be marked on the left and right sides and extremity of any rigid projection extending more than 1.2m in front or to the rear of the body of an eligible vehicle.

1.          Stated maps and areas - Approved routes and travel conditions

An eligible vehicle operating under this notice may operate on the networks specified in Table 3.

Table 3 Table of Networks

Jose Arredondo

Manager Network Access Policy

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator