Road managers
Accessibility tools
Following the successful release of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR’s) National Network Map on 20 December 2023, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has been working in close partnership with the NHVR to commence the transition of NSW networks to the map. We are pleased to confirm the New South Wales transition has now taken place, with all networks displayed on the National Network Map. From an operator’s perspective, there will be very little impact, but for local government, completing this important piece of work is the first stage of enabling all NSW local governments to propose any network changes directly into the system, using a self-service model.
Will the maps exactly replicate the transport networks?
The NHVR National Map is built using an OpenStreetMap dataset. This enables timely and accurate changes to road infrastructure, during such times as construction works or new road geometry creation. This data source enables the NHVR to share mapping information, and make road changes quickly and efficiently, meaning our industry can rely on the accuracy of our road data. This is a different data set than used by TfNSW. Over the remainder of this year, the NSW networks will be re-created on the OpenStreetMap roads. For most roads, there will be minimal or no difference, however where we anticipate there is a potential difference, the NHVR will work with TfNSW and local governments to confirm any geometry differences.
Such differences could occur where an ‘air gap’ has been introduced to the TfNSW network to reflect a restricted piece of infrastructure. Where the NHVR is identifying these, we will confirm with local councils that the air gap is intentional or based on historical reasons. The NHVR will reach out to each local council to agree on the new representation once the data is in OpenStreetMap. This level of data integrity means we can confidently assure both local government and industry the networks are accurate.
What if i want to make a change to a network?
During the period of transition, the current process for changing a network will not immediately change. A local road manager will complete the Route Update Request form and forward it to the NHVR. Our internal teams will complete the change on your behalf. Once a network has been fully transitioned to OpenStreetMap, it will be possible to use the Network Management tools we have built and are rolling out across other states. The NHVR Spatial team will work with local governments to train and provide guidance to complete any changes using these tools moving forward.
What are the next steps?
The NHVR National Map will be the master of all road networks for NSW. In the next few months, we will commence rolling out self-management tools to local governments to ensure these networks are kept up to date once the networks have been recreated in OpenStreetMap. Simultaneously, the NHVR will be working to add to the number of available data layers available in the maps, together with improving the management of intersections, bridges, and rail level crossings.
We are also completing functionality to enable the automation of permits under pre-approval schemes. Combining this with digitising pre-approvals, and enabling their representation on the National Network Map, will mean less administration for local government, whilst streamlining the permit process for operators.
If you have any questions about the map content, or about next steps, please contact the NHVR at spatial@nhvr.gov.au