Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 64/00 – Heavy Goods Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles) 2006

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

Legislation au F2006L02298 In force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 64/00 – Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles) 2006

 

 

 

Made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explanatory Statement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issued by the authority of the Minister for Transport and

Regional Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2006

 

CONTENTS

 

1. legislative context................................................

2. impact of the legislative instruments act 2003...........................

3. content and effect of ADR 64/00 - Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles             

4. consultation arrangements..........................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


  1.                        legislative context

Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 64/00 — Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles) 2006 is made under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (the Act).  The Act enables the Australian Government to establish nationally uniform standards for road vehicles when they are first supplied to the market in Australia.  The Act applies to such vehicles whether they are manufactured in Australia or are imported as new or second hand vehicles.

The making of the vehicle standards necessary for the Act's effective operation is provided for in section 7 which empowers the Minister to "determine vehicle standards for road vehicles or vehicle components".

Australian Design Rule (ADR) 64/00 was originally determined in Determination of Motor Vehicle Standards Order No. 1 of 1989 and has been amended in two subsequent determinations.  ADR 64/00 is being remade to comply with the requirements of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (LIA) and to enable its registration in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.  The remaking of ADR 64/00 has not altered the substance of the standard as last determined.

  1.                        impact of the legislative instruments act 2003

Until now ADRs have been determined in “packages”, that is, a single determination will create, amend and repeal multiple ADRs.  In example, Determination 1 of 1991 amended 32 ADRs and Determination 2 of 2003 created one new ADR and amended 13.  The determination is the legislative instrument, not the ADR itself.

 

The intent of the LIA is to allow easy access to all legislative instruments and to be able to track their history and changes.  The current form of determination used to created vehicle standards does not allow for this as it is difficult to isolate the change history of individual ADRs and the legislative instruments (the determinations) do not contain the information of importance to those using the ADRs – the vehicle standards.

 

In consultation with the Attorney General’s Department it has been agreed that the most effective solution is to remake each ADR as a separate vehicle standard determined under section 7 of the Act.  In doing this, there is no need to backcapture the old determinations and the new layout better fits the intent of the LIA.  With each ADR as a separate vehicle standard it will be possible for interested parties to view the ADR and its change history on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

  1.                        content and effect of ADR 64/00 - Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles
    1.                  Overview of the ADR

The function of this vehicle standard is to specify additional design and construction requirements for hauling vehicles designed to be used in road trains and B-doubles.


  1.                  Changes to the ADR

The following changes have been made to the ADR:

  • Format.  The ADR is now presented as a single column of text rather than two columns.
  • Spelling and grammar.  Several typographical errors have been corrected.
  • Replace clause A with the following.

“A Legislative provisions

A.1. NAME OF STANDARD

A.1.1. This Standard is the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 64/00 – Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles) 2006.

A.1.2. This Standard may also be cited as Australian Design Rule 64/00 — Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles.

A.2. COMMENCEMENT

A.2.1. This Standard commences on the day after it is registered.

A.3. REPEAL

A.3.1. This Standard repeals each vehicle standard with the name Australian Design Rule 64/00 — Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles that is:

(a) made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989; and

(b) in force at the commencement of this Standard.

A.3.2. This Standard also repeals each instrument made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 that creates a vehicle standard with the name Australian Design Rule 64/00 — Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles, if there are no other vehicle standards created by that instrument, or amendments to vehicle standards made by that instrument, that are still in force at the commencement of this Standard. “

  • Replace the text of the Definitions clause with “Refer to Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005.”

 

The text of clause A has been provided by the Attorney General’s Department to facilitate remaking each ADR as a separate legislative instrument.  This text repeals and replaces each ADR as a vehicle standard independently of the Determination under which it was made.  Once all ADRs made under a particular Determination have been remade, that Determination is repealed. 

 

Changes to clause 64.1 have been made to reference the ADR Definitions and Vehicle Categories as remade for the LIA requirements.

  1.                  Documents Incorporated by Reference

This section lists documents referenced in the vehicle standard and how they can be obtained.

 

  • Australian Design Rules can be purchased on CD-ROM from the Department of Transport and Regional Services.  As the ADRs are remade, they will also be available at http://www.comlaw.gov.au.
    • Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule – Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005 (s64.1)
    • Australian Design Rule 35/00 – Commercial Vehicle Brake Systems (s64.5.2.1)
  1.                        consultation arrangements
    1.                  Specific Consultation Arrangements for this Vehicle Standard

As the changes to this vehicle standard are purely administrative (to comply with the LIA) no public consultation has been undertaken.

 

The Department of Transport and Regional Services has sought advice and assistance from the Office of Legislative Drafting and the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments on how best to handle the backcapture requirements of the LIA.

 

The Office of Regulation Review has agreed that a regulation impact statement is not required as the intent and technical content of the vehicle standard has not changed.

 

 

Overview

The Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 64/00 – Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles) 2006 was enacted to provide additional design and construction requirements for heavy good vehicles designed to be used in road trains and B-doubles, aligning with the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. This Act was introduced to address the need for uniform standards for road vehicles in Australia, whether manufactured domestically or imported, ensuring safety and consistency across the market. The vehicle standard was remade under the authority of the Minister for Transport and Regional Services to comply with the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, which aims to improve access to legislative instruments and their change history. The policy objective of this remaking is to better track and isolate the historical changes of individual ADRs, facilitating easier access and understanding for stakeholders. This remaking does not alter the substance of the standard but ensures that it fits within the legislative framework established by the LIA.

Scope and Application

The Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 64/00 – Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles) 2006 is enacted under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989, establishing nationally uniform standards for heavy goods vehicles designed for use in road trains and B-doubles, whether manufactured in Australia or imported. This standard applies to the design and construction of these vehicles to ensure safety and compliance with national regulations. The Act applies to all road vehicles and vehicle components supplied in Australia, irrespective of their origin, ensuring uniformity across the national market. ADR 64/00 specifically addresses additional design and construction requirements for heavy goods vehicles configured for use in road trains and B-doubles. The remaking of ADR 64/00 is a response to the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, aiming to make legislative instruments more accessible and trackable by separating each ADR into distinct vehicle standards. This change improves the ability to view the history and amendments of individual ADRs on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments. There are no exclusions or exemptions specified in the text, and the geographic reach is national, applying uniformly across Australia. The standard repeals previous versions of ADR 64/00 that were in force at the commencement of this new standard.

Key Provisions

The Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 64/00 – Heavy Good Vehicles Designed for Use in Road Trains and B-Doubles) 2006 (the Standard) establishes the design and construction requirements for heavy good vehicles that are intended to be used in road trains and B-doubles. This is made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (the Act), which empowers the Minister to determine vehicle standards for road vehicles or vehicle components. The Standard specifies additional requirements beyond those set out in other Australian Design Rules (ADRs) to ensure the safety and suitability of these vehicles for their intended use. The Standard imposes obligations on manufacturers, importers, and dealers of heavy good vehicles to ensure that any vehicles they supply comply with the Standard. This includes ensuring that vehicles meet the specified design and construction requirements, and that appropriate documentation and certification are provided to demonstrate compliance. The Standard also requires that vehicles are tested and certified by authorised bodies to ensure they meet the necessary safety standards. There are no specific offences or penalties outlined in the Standard itself. However, failure to comply with the Standard may result in legal action under the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 or other relevant legislation. For example, supplying a vehicle that does not meet the requirements of the Standard may be considered an offence under the Act, which could result in civil or criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. The exact penalties will depend on the specific circumstances of the offence and any relevant legislation. The Standard represents a remaking of the previous Australian Design Rule 64/00, which was originally determined in 1989 and subsequently amended. The remaking of the Standard was necessary to comply with the requirements of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (LIA), which aims to improve access to legislative instruments and enable tracking of their history and changes. The changes made to the Standard are purely administrative and do not alter the substance of the standard as last determined. Public consultation was not undertaken for this remaking, as the changes were considered to be purely administrative in nature.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Vehicle Standards Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Regulatory Standards

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

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.