NHVR pushes a three-tier system to help councils assess route applications
By Brad Gardner | September 27, 2013
A three-tier system to assist local governments assess route applications will be introduced when national heavy vehicle regulations begin.
During a webinar held today focused on what the regulatory reforms mean for councils, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) General Manager Angus Draheim touted the multi-level approach designed to accommodate the specific needs of individual councils.
The first tier will involve a basic level of support, with the level of support increasing in tiers two and three for councils that require more help to complete technical and engineering works.
He says the new system should make the process of granting applications convenient and easy, depending on the different types of vehicles being assessed.
“Each local government will have different needs,” Draheim says.
Draheim, who sat on a panel that included NHVR CEO Richard Hancock and Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) Director of Transport Policy Kym Foster, confirmed councils would have the final say on which vehicles use their road network.
“Local government still has the ability to apply road conditions for vehicles,” he says.
Draheim says the NHVR will also be able to impose vehicle conditions, such as safety features.
Under national heavy vehicle regulations, trucking operators will submit vehicle access applications to the NHVR. The regulator will then deal with state and local governments on an operator’s behalf to gain approval.
All approvals are due to be completed within 28 days, but local governments will be free to request extensions if needed.
Although the NHVR is not fully functioning at the moment, Hancock says his team is currently phoning councils to build relationships and gather information.
