Latest news

Grapegrowers and wine producers, together with carriers, harvest operators and drivers, must ensure they take all reasonable steps to comply with the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws. 

NHVR Manager Stakeholder Relations and Customer Experience John Gilbert said a recent Wine Industry Day in South Australia was an important opportunity for grape growers to understand their obligations under Chain of Responsibility legislation.

“Grapes spilling off the back of heavy vehicles can make our roads slippery and dangerous for other motorists,” John said.

Two new members have been appointed to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Board.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said current NHVR Board Deputy Chair Peter Garske and Board member Coral Taylor would retire this month.

“Julie Russell and Catherine Scott will replace Mr Garske and Ms Taylor when their appointments end,” Mr McCormack said.

“Ministers have unanimously agreed Ms Russell and Ms Scott should be appointed to the Board.

The NHVR has released a top tips guide to the Portal to help operators reduce their application processing times.

NHVR Access Manager Roger Garcia said the short guide was aimed at addressing common errors and questions when applying for access permits.

“Following these simple tips makes it faster and easier for us to process your permit applications,” Roger said.

The NHVR has announced that the Vehicle Standards service will be available in the NHVR Portal from 4pm Wednesday 16 October.

This is another step towards giving industry a single source of business information, streamlining interactions and linking NHVR’s services.

Vehicle Standards applications for In-Principle Support, Exemption Permits and Modifications will be able to be lodged through the NHVR Portal.

You will also be able to attach:

A reminder that feedback on the Grain Harvest Management Schemes Review Issues Paper closes this week.

NHVR Executive Director Freight and Supply Chain Productivity Peter Caprioli said the paper addressed the different heavy vehicle loading schemes used during grain harvest across Australia. 

A national operation inspecting more than 3500 heavy vehicles, including oversize overmass and Performance Based Standards combinations, has found that 93 per cent were compliant with their permit conditions.

NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said the third Operation Kingsize was conducted over nine days in September.

“This year, officers inspected 3533 heavy vehicles which showed that 93.1 per cent were compliant with their permit or notice conditions,” Mr Salvati said.

A revamped PBS scheme that focuses on flexibility and continued innovation should be a central part of reforms to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), according to the NHVR. 

NHVR Manager Vehicle Safety and Performance Peter Austin said that a vision for a reformed PBS Scheme, PBS 2.0, was a central part of the Regulator’s response to the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) HVNL Review issues paper Vehicle Standards and Safety.

From 1 December, 2019 in Tasmania, all motorists must safely slow to 40km/h as they pass any stationary or slow moving emergency vehicle with red, blue or magenta lights flashing. 

The rule includes NHVR vehicles displaying magenta lights.

It applies to traffic travelling in either direction, unless there’s a dividing barrier between the motorist and the emergency vehicle. 

The NHVR has welcomed the rollout of a user-pay trial by the Australian Livestock Rural Transporters’ Association (ALRTA) to support safety in the unloading of livestock.

The trial, being conducted at Kilcoy Global Foods in South-East Queensland, allows heavy vehicle drivers to use the innovative Parallel Access Landing (PAL).

The NHVR is currently assessing a number of applications for approval as Electronic Work Diaries.

NHVR Executive Director Safety Standards and Assurance Geoff Casey said the current round of applications were of a varying quality after a number of earlier applications had fallen short of requirements. 

The NHVR has commenced an investigation into two Tasmanian heavy vehicle companies in relation to possible maintenance and mass breaches under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). 

NHVR Director Investigations Steve Underwood said NHVR officers recently entered the companies’ premises in relation to alleged breaches of safety duties under the HVNL. The companies were also required to present heavy vehicles for inspection. 

An important trial to provide a significant boost to safety in the livestock industry is underway at Kilcoy Global Foods in South-East Queensland’s Somerset Region.

The NHVR is seeking Expressions of Interest from owner operators and drivers to participate in a workshop to discuss the specific issues this group faces in relation to gaining flexibility through Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) accreditation. 

A quarter of caravan and Recreational Vehicle users have stayed overnight in truck rest areas according to research released by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia.

The research is part of a new information campaign, funded under the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative.

The NHVR has made a number of recommendations to support driver safety in response to the National Transport Commission’s issues paper Safe People and Practices, the fourth paper released as part of the review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). 

Join the NHVR for a session designed to assist customers in using the functionality of the NHVR Portal, including processing of permit applications.

The NHVR regularly reviews the security of its online systems, including the NHVR Portal, to ensure the safety of all users. As a result, a new password format will be required for all future passwords. 

This upgrade will be applied from Wednesday 18 September 2019.

What is changing?

A quarter of caravan and Recreational Vehicle users have stayed overnight in truck rest areas according to research released by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia today.