Road managers
Accessibility tools
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator will target freight efficiency in a series of face-to-face meetings with councils and industry representatives in country NSW this week.
NHVR’s Industry and Stakeholder Manager John Gilbert said discussions would focus on two of Australia most important freight routes – the New England Highway and the Newell Highway.
“We need a better understanding of local freight issues and how we can assist both industry and councils to improve freight efficiency and safety, to grow local economies,” Mr Gilbert said.
“The NHVR has requested more than 550 consent permits from the eight local councils we’re meeting with over the past two years and we are keen to see how we can streamline the consent process.
“The NHVR will raise heavy vehicle access to better meet the needs of local industry, take-up of high productivity heavy vehicles to get the same amount of freight moved in less trips with more modern safer trucks.
“We also need to have good systems within councils to deliver a fast response to heavy vehicle access requests by the transport operators who service local industries.”
The series of 10 meetings between the NHVR and local councils will include the Forbes heavy vehicle breakfast forum.
Mr Gilbert said NHVR officers would meet councils in Inverell, Gwydir, Narrabri, Warrumbungle, Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes and Tamworth.
“The NHVR wants to facilitate and strengthen relationships between councils and industry to ensure local businesses get the freight they need and the product they build and grow delivered as efficiently and safely as possible,” he said.
“These meeting are about industry, road managers and the NHVR working together.
“Sometimes that involves an infrastructure solution, and sometimes that involves education on the benefits of certain freight options."
Contact: Andrew Berkman | 07 3309 8603