Road managers
Accessibility tools
The opportunities for local governments to manage their heavy vehicle movements are showcased by the Blacktown City Council in Local government in focus, the latest access video released by the NHVR.
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto welcomed the council’s move to embrace newer, modern and safer heavy vehicles administered under the NHVR's Performance-Based Standards (PBS) scheme and the benefits they bring to local economies.
“By reducing red tape for PBS vehicle access, Blacktown City Council has improved the productivity of local businesses, reduced congestion by having less truck trips for the same amount of freight, and improved safety on the busy Western Sydney road network,” he said.
“Local government in focus is the third in a series of videos to assist councils to make decisions about their road networks under the National Heavy Vehicle Law.
“Many councils have reduced their administrative burden by progressively removing the need for permits for certain classes of heavy vehicles that meet higher safety standards.”
There are now 1126 pre-approved routes across 284 councils, an increase of more than 60 per cent in the past year.
Blacktown City Council General Manager Kerry Robinson said an efficient road network was crucial for the area’s 18,000 businesses.
“It’s critical to our economic strategy that we have an efficient road network that services those industrial areas and allows growth to happy,” Mr Robinson said.
The NHVR released the video along with Quarter 4 performance data and national heat maps.
The snapshot shows that while permit requests in excess of 28 days has decreased for all local road managers, there has been an increase in the overall processing times of permit applications.
This is largely due to a spike in permit applications prior to the July 1 changes to permit amendment applications. Further information is available at www.nhvr.gov.au