The NHVR has granted temporary access to road trains up to 53.5m on key routes to keep essential food stocks rolling through SA to WA
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has released a temporary notice to support the movement of essential food items from South Australia to Western Australia during the unprecedented flooding events that have impacted large parts of central Australia.
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says the National Class 3 Supplementary Access (Western Australia Assistance) Exemption Notice 2022 (No.1) will provide temporary access for Class 3 vehicles that are road trains up to 53.5 metres in length and the equivalent of Higher Mass Limits.
“The notice will support a number of routes including from Port Augusta west, via the Eyre Highway and also the Lincoln Highway connecting to the Eyre Highway,” Petroccitto says.
“This is another crucial step to enable the supply of food and other essential goods between the eastern states and WA while the east-west route networks are impacted by flooding.”
Western Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti welcomed the notice.
“We are working with the Commonwealth Government, other State Governments, industry and retailers to ensure we can continue to move essential goods and supplies into Western Australia,” Saffioti says.
“We will continue to engage with all parties while the rail line is being fixed – we are all in this together.”
In WA, a flood permit is now available for temporary access for 53.5m road trains to operate between the SA border and the Kalgoorlie Rail Head or the Coolgardie road train assembly area.
Closer to Perth, a temporary special assistance flood permit is providing temporary access for 36.5m road trains to operate on the Great Eastern Highway between the Northam road train assembly area and Roe Highway. This removes the need to disconnect trailers at Northam following the morning curfew period on February 4.
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ATA president David Smith, originally from South Australia, was another to welcome the government collaboration.
“It’s great to see all parties including the state governments and the NHVR working together to ensure we keep these vital supply lines open despite the impacts of the deluge.”
The notice follows the recent release of the National Class 2 Supplementary Access (Northern Territory Assistance) Authorisation Notice 2022 (No.1) to provide temporary Class 2 heavy vehicles access for road trains up to 53.5m long to specified routes from South Australia to Queensland via New South Wales, to join the Road Train Type 2 Network through Queensland to Darwin.
Pacific National CEO Paul Scurrah says the move to open a freight land bridge across the Nullarbor was a unique solution for a significant flooding event.
“Getting containers across the flooded regions by roads and back onto trains at Kalgoorlie shows the benefits of the whole freight and logistics sector working together,” Scurrah says. “We thank the NHVR and heavy vehicle industry for their support in helping to find a solution to keep essential freight moving.”
The NHVR has advised that while this notice remains in place, all other vehicles should exercise extra caution while overtaking, as these road trains are longer than the vehicles that normally operate on this route.
For information can be found at www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/heavy-vehicles/news-industry/ or on the NHVR’s information sheet.