Easter travel restrictions 2024

11-03-2024

Some states and territories have travel restrictions in place over the Easter holiday period that limit travel for Class 1 heavy vehicles (agricultural, oversize/overmass and special purpose vehicles).

The information below outlines the most common Easter restrictions, however, we recommend operators check their permits and relevant notices for what restrictions are applicable and confirm with their relevant state and territory road transport authority.

Australian Capital Territory

No specific Easter travel restrictions in place.

New South Wales

State-wide oversize travel curfews are imposed during public holiday periods across the state for Class 1 oversize heavy vehicles.

Travel restrictions apply for oversize load carrying vehicles, such as low loaders transporting oversize equipment, during the Easter long weekend. These requirements are outlined in the New South Wales Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Operator's Guide (PDF, 1.18MB) and additional requirements for vehicles under an access permit in the additional access conditions for oversize and overmass heavy vehicles and loads.

Transport for NSW has provided an overview of these holiday travel requirements on NSW State-wide oversize holiday curfews.

Details of the travel requirements for agricultural vehicles during the 2024 Easter holiday period are outlined in the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice Operator's Guide.

No travel is permitted on any State road from 8.30 am on the first day of the public holiday to 11:59 pm on the final day of the public holiday period for any agricultural vehicle or combination operating under the Notice travelling in Zone 1:

  • wider than 2.5m and/or
  • longer than 22m.

Any agricultural vehicle or combination operating under the Notice is travelling in Zone 3 and Zone 5:  

  • wider than 3.2m and/or
  • longer than 22m

May only operate during a public holiday period if they are accompanied by (at a minimum) a pilot vehicle, unless travelling a distance of up to 500m between paddocks adjoining public roads.

Please note the New South Wales Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Operator's Guide was recently updated so that a Class 1 heavy vehicle transporting agricultural cotton may operate on the following roads during daylight hours from sunrise Easter Saturday until sunset Easter Sunday.

  • the Newell Highway from north of Coonabarabran to Goondiwindi 
  • the Kamilaroi Highway from Narrabri to Gunnedah 
  • the Gwydir Highway from the Newell Highway to Warialda
  • the Bruxner Highway from Boggabilla to Yetman
  • the Riverina Highway from Berrigan to Finley
  • the Murray Valley Highway from Deniliquin to the Newell Highway near Finlay
  • the Kidman Way from Hillston to the intersection of the Newell Highway near Jerilderie
  • the Mid Western Highway from Goolgowi to West Wyalong.

Northern Territory

No specific Easter travel restrictions in place.

Queensland

An oversize vehicle or combination must not be driven on any road in Queensland from 12.01am Thursday 28 March 2024 to 11.59pm Tuesday 2 April 2024, unless the oversize heavy vehicle or combination is provided an exemption.

Exemptions

In Queensland, the following oversize heavy vehicles and combinations are provided an exemption to general Easter travel conditions in the following schedules of the Queensland Access Conditions Guide:

  • Schedule 1 provides exemptions for Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV).
  • Schedule 2 provides exemptions for Class 1 Special Purpose Combinations.
  • Schedule 3 provides exemptions for Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicles.
  • Schedule 5 provides exemptions for Oversize conditionally registered vehicles.

Note: There are no exemptions under Schedule 4 for Class 3 oversize vehicles.

Before you commence your journey, you must check: 

Exemptions to the general Easter travel conditions in the Queensland Access Conditions Guide provide access for:

  • Any oversize heavy vehicle and combination under notice or permit may be driven during the Easter holiday period in the Cooper Basin where travel is directly involved with, or in support of, Liquefied Natural Gas or mining activities. A map of Cooper Basin is located in the Queensland Access Conditions Guide.
  • A Class 1 load carrying vehicle carrying agricultural equipment in association with cotton harvesting is permitted to travel during daylight hours as per Schedule 3 Table 21,
  • Any Class 1 oversize heavy vehicle and combination under notice or permit operating on a Port of Brisbane roads listed in Table 25.
  • A Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle complying with the conditions of operations between the Port of Brisbane or Mackay Ports and a Bond Store/Holding Yard Christmas and Easter holiday exemption under Schedule 3 Section 4.

Agricultural vehicles

In Queensland, a heavy agricultural vehicle and combination is provided an exemption to general Easter travel conditions in the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice Operator's Guide.

Before you commence your journey, you must check the following information contained within the guide:

  • Table 19 Holiday restrictions, found in the conditions tab under National daytime conditions and holiday restrictions
  • Queensland participating road manager network conditions under the Network and mapping tab.

South Australia

South Australia Load Carrying Vehicles Operator’s Guide (PDF, 408KB)

Travel is not be permitted during Easter for oversize loads that require a police escort.

Tasmania

No curfews in place for heavy vehicle activities over the Easter period.

The Department of State Growth’s Transport Safety Inspection Officers (TSIOs) will not be providing a service from 29 March to 3 April. This will mean that any activities that have a condition of an escort (under permit or notice), will not be able to comply with the conditions of access and will not be able to operate over this period, unless it is in the event of an emergency.

Victoria

No specific Easter travel restrictions in place. If you are operating under an access permit, please check for specific operating conditions that may apply.

Please note that as per the Multi-State Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Dimension Exemption Notice 2023 (No.1) and the Multi-State Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Mass Exemption Notice 2023 (No.1), an eligible vehicle must not travel on the Melba Highway or Warburton Highway on:

  • a weekend or public holiday; or
  • the day before the start of a holiday period; or
  • the last day of a holiday period.

Western Australia

Curfew restrictions for operators of Oversize Restricted Access Vehicles (RAVs) apply during the Easter period. Operators must refer to the permit operating conditions that are relevant to the particular vehicle that they wish to operate for full details on the curfews that apply to them.

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