Victoria Class 1 Emergency Management Mass & Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No.1)

HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Victoria Class 1 Emergency Management Mass & Dimension Exemption Notice 2017 (No.1)

1. Purpose

This Notice exempts specified categories of heavy vehicles from prescribed mass and dimension requirements so that they may participate in emergency management operations while under direction from Victorian emergency services in accordance with the State Emergency Response Plan and the Emergency Management Manual Victoria.

Note:- The purpose of this Notice is to enable the following agencies:

• Forest Fire  Management Victoria
•  Country Fire Authority
• Emergency Management Victoria
• Victoria Police
• VicRoads
• Metropolitan Fire Brigade and;
• Victoria State Emergency Service
• and personnel engaged or directed by these agencies to transport equipment and plant when responding to an emergency.

Note:-  This Notice replaces the Victorian Class 1 Vehicles Operating When Responding to an Emergency Mass & Dimension Exemption (Notice) 2014.

2.       Authorising Provision

This Notice is made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law as in force in each participating jurisdiction (the HVNL).

3.       Title

This Notice may be cited as the Victoria Class 1 Emergency Management Mass & Dimension Exemption Notice 2017.

4.       Commencement

This Notice commences on 9 November 2017.

5.       Expiry

This Notice expires five years after commencement.

6.       Definitions

1)      Unless otherwise stated, words or expressions used in this Notice have the same meanings as in the HVNL or regulations made under the HVNL.

2)      In this Notice —

CFA means the Country Fire Authority

Controller means the following roles defined in the Emergency Management Manual Victoria:

a)      Regional Controller

b)      Incident Controller

Eligible vehicle means a heavy vehicle or heavy vehicle combination that is:

a)      A special purpose heavy vehicle used for emergency management; or

b)      A load carrying heavy vehicle transporting indivisible items consisting of vehicles, equipment or plant used for emergency management.

Emergency Management Manual Victoria means the manual issued by Emergency Management Victoria that complies with the requirements of the Emergency Management Act 1986 (Vic) and Emergency Management Act 2013 (Vic).

FFM means the Forest Fire Management function within the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Victoria), Parks Victoria, VicForests and Melbourne Water

MFB means the Metropolitan Fire Brigade

State Emergency Response Plan means a plan prepared and reviewed in accordance with Part 5 of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (Vic).

VICSES means the Victoria State Emergency Service

7.       Application

1)      This Notice applies to an eligible vehicle:

a)      engaged by, or operating under the direction of, a Controller;

b)      under the State Emergency Response Plan set out in the Emergency Management Manual Victoria.

8.       Exemption- Dimension Requirements

1)      An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice is exempt from the following dimension requirements of Schedule 6 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (the National Regulation):

a)      section 3 – Length; and

b)      section 7(1) – Width; and

c)       section 8 – Height.

9.       Conditions – Disapplication of Schedule 8 of the National Regulation

1)      Pursuant to s39(4)(a) of the National Regulation, the following provisions of Schedule 8 of the National Regulation do not apply to eligible vehicles operating under this Notice:

a)      section 7 – Travel Restrictions at Night; and

b)      section 8 – No Travelling in Low Visibility; and

c)       Any other travel time restrictions that would otherwise be imposed under Schedule 8.

10.   Conditions – Dimensions for combinations up to 46t

1)      An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice with a mass up to 46t must, together with its load, not exceed the following dimension limits:

a)      Width - 3.0 meters; and

b)      Height - 4.5 meters.

11.   Conditions – Dimensions for combinations that exceed 46 tonnes

1)      An eligible vehicle operating under this Notice that exceeds 46t must, together with its load, not exceed the following dimension limits:

a)      Length – 26m; and

b)      Width - 4.0 meters; and

c)       Height - 4.5 meters.

12.   Conditions – Maximum Gross Combination Mass

The Gross Combination Mass of an eligible vehicle operating under this Notice must not exceed 78.5t.

1          

13.   Conditions – Maximum Mass and Axle Spacing

1)      The mass on an axle or axle group of the prime mover or dolly or trailer in an eligible vehicle must not be more than the mass limit for the axle group configuration and minimum axle group ground contact width as stated below in Table 1.

2)      The minimum distance from the centre line of the rear most axle of the prime mover to the centreline of the foremost axle trailer must be 7.0 metres (see figure 1); and

3)      The minimum distance from the centre line of the rear most axle of the dolly to the centre-line of the foremost axle trailer must be 8.7 metres (see figure 2).

Table 1  -  Total axle mass of an axle or axle group of the prime mover or dolly or trailer

 (*) Complying steer axle vehicles may operate at an additional 0.5t as provided in the HVNL.

14.   Exemptions and Conditions – Super Single Tyres on a Fire Truck Drive Axle

1)      A single drive axle on a Fire Truck fitted with two 395/85 super single tyres may have a maximum mass of 8.5t on that axle.

2)      A steer axle on a Fire Truck may have a maximum mass of 6.5t on that axle.

3)      A Fire Truck is not eligible for the dimension exemptions stated in s11.

4)      For the purpose of this section, a Fire Truck is an eligible vehicle that is a rigid truck permanently modified or constructed to incorporate firefighting equipment.

15.   Conditions – Stated Areas and Routes

1)      A vehicle with dimensions that comply with clause 11 and does not exceed an overall combination mass of 46.0 tonnes may only use the approved routes, and the approved routes with conditions, on the map titled “Victorian Emergency Response Heavy Vehicle Network (32 tonne, 3.0 metre wide, 4.5 metre high & 19 metre long)”.

2)      A vehicle with dimensions that comply with clause 12 and 13 and exceeds an overall combination mass of 46.0 tonnes may only use the approved routes, and the approved routes with conditions, on the map titled “Victorian Emergency Response Heavy Vehicle Network (78 tonne, 4 metres wide, 5 metres high & 26 metre long)”.

Note–  Network maps are maintained by VicRoads and published on the heavy vehicle network maps webpage.

Note -  In response to an emergency if travel is required on a route other than a route permitted under this Notice, a mass or dimension exemption (permit) under Section 197 of the NHVL must be obtained from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator for travel on that route.

DATED: 9 November 2017

Peter Caprioli

Executive Director Access

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator