South Australia Class 3 Specified Routes Dimension Exemption Notice 2025 (No.1)

HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

South Australia Class 3 Specified Routes Dimension Exemption Notice 2025 (No.1)

1.        Purpose

1.       This notice grants exemptions from dimension requirements for a class 3 heavy combination carrying a load that exceeds prescribed height and width requirements and is operating on specified routes in South Australia.

1.       This notice revokes and replaces the South Australia Class 3 Road Train (North of Port Augusta) Dimension Exemption Notice 2024 (No.1).

1.        Authorising provision

1.       This notice is made under the following provision 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 South Australia Class 3 Specified Routes Dimension Exemption Notice 2025 (No.1).

1.        Commencement date

This notice commences on 29 August 2025.

1.        Expiry date

This notice expires on 28 August 2030.

1.        Definitions

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

1.       In this notice, definitions specified in the following notices apply:

1.       National Class 2 B-double Authorisation Notice, as amended from time to time.
2.       National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice, as amended from time to time.

1.       In this notice:

Guide means the South Australia Class 3 Specified Routes Dimension Exemption Notice Operator’s Guide published by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, and as amended from time to time.

1.        Application

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

1.       This notice applies to a heavy vehicle that is a:

1.       B-double; or
2.       Prime mover towing a semitrailer and dolly; or
3.        A-double; or
4.       B-triple (Modular); or
5.       B-triple; or
6.         A-triple; or
7.        AB-triple; or
8.       BAB-quad; or
9.         ABB-quad.

1.       This notice applies in South Australia.

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

1.        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):

1.       section 7 – Width
2.       section 8 – Height

1.       An exemption in 1) only applies to the extent that specific conditional dimension limits are provided in section 9 and 10 of this notice.

1.       To be clear, if this notice provides for more than one dimension limit that may apply in the same circumstances the more restrictive dimension limit applies.

1.        Conditions – Dimension (width)

1.       The maximum width of an eligible vehicle is determined by:

1.       the type of eligible vehicle; and
2.       the route on which it is operating.

1.       The maximum width of a given type of eligible vehicle on a stated route is specified in Table 1 under section 15 of this notice. An eligible vehicle described in column 1 of Table 1, operating on the route stated in column 2 must not exceed the width specified in column 4.

1.       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.

1.    Conditions – Dimension (height)

1.       An eligible vehicle that is transporting anything other than a building must not exceed 4.6m in height.

1.       An eligible vehicle transporting a building must not exceed 4.9m in height.

1.    Conditions – Pilots and escorts

An eligible vehicle must comply with the pilot and escort requirements set out in the Guide.

1.    Conditions - Application of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation

1.       An eligible vehicle must comply with the following sections of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation as though the vehicle is a class 1 vehicle:

section 2(1)(c) - Warning flags

section 3 – Warning lights and delineators if load projecting from vehicle

section 6 – Headlights

section 8 – No travelling if low visibility

section 9 – Minimum following distance

section 10 – Allowing overtaking

section 13 – Carrying goods in addition to a large indivisible item

1.    Conditions – Speed

1.       An eligible vehicle travelling on a sealed road must not exceed 80kph.

1.       An eligible vehicle travelling on an unsealed road must not exceed 60kph.

1.       An eligible vehicle travelling within township limits must not exceed 40kph.

Note: Where an official traffic sign indicates a lower speed limit than those in this section, then the signed limits apply.

1.    Condition – Protrusion of cross members beyond load

1.       No part of any cross member used to support the load carried on an eligible vehicle may protrude laterally more than 50mm from the point of support of the load.

1.       To be clear, the restriction in 1) still requires that the width of the cross member must still fall within the maximum width allowed for a given eligible vehicle under section 9 of this notice.

1.    Condition – Stated areas or routes

1.       An eligible vehicle complying with the conditions of this notice is authorised to access the stated routes set out in this section.

1.       An eligible vehicle described in column 1 of Table 1 may access the route stated in column 2 so long as it does not exceed the length and width limits specified in columns 3 and 4.

Table 1: Stated routes for given eligible vehicles and given dimensions

1.       A route listed in column 2 of Table 1 is a stated route for the purposes of section 119(1)(a) of the HVNL.

1.       An eligible vehicle operating on a route specified in this section must comply with the following specified for that route:

1.       Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and
2.       Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and
3.        Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

1.       Pursuant to section 119(3) of the HVNL, an eligible vehicle must comply with any restrictions or conditions set out in the Specified Road Manager Network Requirements section of the Guide, as amended from time to time.