Victorian operators turn up in large numbers for briefing on national regulations.
An implementation briefing held by the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) on the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) attracted a strong attendance by transport operators in Melbourne yesterday.
More than 100 people came to hear the latest on changes to road laws and regulatory procedures when the law takes effect in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania on February 10. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) will enforce the law.
NHVR General Manager Angus Draheim and NHVR Compliance and Enforcement Director Tony Kursius spoke about implementation issues, on-road compliance and enforcement, vehicle standards exemptions and modifications and the Performance Based Standards (PBS) regime.
The pair assured the crowd the NHVR has what it takes to handle permits when it becomes the single point of contact for operators.
“We’ve got a team which will be there to specifically deal with oversize and over-mass,” Draheim says.
“They’ll be structured and trained and set up within the right subject matter and expertise to handle that. They’ll also be working on getting that consistency in terms of conditions.
“We will also have people who will deal with the escalation of phone calls who will be looking at specialisation and people who can deal with particular companies as well, particularly people with bigger fleets and across multiple jurisdictions,” Draheim adds.
“We’ll set up accounts so we can have direct contact with you.”
Operators and drivers will go to the NHVR for a range of services currently being delivered by state and territory road transport authorities.
Those seeking new permits will be able to submit their application online, by mail or fax using a step-by-step guide to choose the right form.
They will need to submit only one application at a fee of $70 to the NHVR for their entire journey, no matter how far they are travelling.
However, road managers may charge a separate route assessment fee in some instances.
There will be one set of fees for the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) from February 10 and any applications received by the NHVR up until February 9 will be processed using the current state and territory-based fee structures.