HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW

Victoria Class 1 Emergency Management Mass & Dimension Exemption Notice 2023 (No.1)

1. Purpose

This Notice exempts specified categories of heavy vehicles from prescribed mass and dimension requirements so that they may participate in emergency management operations while under direction from Victorian emergency services in accordance with the State Emergency Management Plan.

Note:- The purpose of this Notice is to enable the following agencies to use heavy vehicles in carrying out functions under Victorian State Emergency Management plans:

• Forest Fire Management Victoria
• Country Fire Authority
• Emergency Management Victoria
• Victoria Police
• Victorian Department of Transport and Planning
• Fire Rescue Victoria and;
• Victoria State Emergency Service
• and personnel engaged or directed by these agencies to transport equipment and plant when responding to an emergency.

In response to an emergency if travel is required for a class 1 or 3 vehicle on a route other than one prescribed under this Notice, one of the following authorities may be obtained:

1. a mass or dimension exemption (permit) pursuant to section 122 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law; or
2. an emergency exemption from compliance with particular requirements in an emergency, pursuant to section 197 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

This Notice replaces the Victoria Class 1 Emergency Management Mass & Dimension Exemption Notice 2018 (No.2).

2.       Authorising Provision

This Notice is made under section 117 of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

3.       Title

This Notice may be cited as the Victoria Class 1 Emergency Management Mass & Dimension Exemption Notice 2023 (No.1).

4.       Commencement

This Notice commences on 2 August 2023.

5.       Expiry

This notice expires on 1 August 2028.

6.       Definitions

1)      Unless otherwise stated, words or expressions used in this Notice have the same meanings as in the HVNL or regulations made under the HVNL.

2)      In this Notice:

Controller means the following roles defined in the Victoria Emergency Operations Handbook:

a)      Regional Controller

b)      Incident Controller

c)       Zone Controller

d)      Area of Operations Controller

e)      State Response Controller

Fire truck means a rigid vehicle designed and constructed for the purpose of firefighting.

Victoria Emergency Operations Handbook means the document of that named published by Emergency Management Victoria as amended from time to time.

State Emergency Management Plan means a plan prepared and reviewed in accordance with Part 6A of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (Vic).

7.       Application

1)      This notice applies to a class 1 heavy vehicle that is engaged by, or operating under the direction of, a controller for the purpose of a State Emergency Management Plan, and is:

a)      a special purpose vehicle; or

b)      a load carrying vehicle.

2)      This notice applies to a heavy vehicle that is operating unladen providing it meets the requirements of 1).

3)      This notice applies in Victoria.

4)      A vehicle to which this section applies, and that complies with all relevant conditions of this notice, is an eligible vehicle.

8.       Exemption- Mass Requirements

1)      An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following mass requirements under Schedule 1 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation):

a)      section 2 – Mass limits for a single vehicle or combination

b)      section 3 – Mass limits for a vehicle with a particular axle space less than 2.5m

c)       section 4 – Mass limits for a single axle or axle group

d)      section 5 – Mass limits relating to axle spacing generally

2)      An exemption in 1) only applies to an eligible vehicle to the extent that specific conditional mass limits are provided in sections 9, 10 and 11 of this Notice.

3)      If, in relation to a particular vehicle or component, this Notice provides for two or more mass limits imposing different mass limits that apply in the same circumstances, the lower mass limit applies, and the other mass limit must be disregarded.

4)      In any case, any additional or conditional mass allowed under this Notice may not exceed manufacturer mass limits pursuant to section 8 of the MDL Regulation.

9.       Conditions – Maximum gross combination mass

The gross combination mass of an eligible vehicle operating under this notice must not exceed 78.5t.

10.   Conditions – Maximum Mass and Axle Spacing

1)      The mass on an axle or axle group of the prime mover or dolly or trailer in an eligible load carrying vehicle must not be more than the mass limit for the axle group configuration and minimum axle group ground contact width as stated below in Table 1.

Table 1: Total axle mass of an axle or axle group of the prime mover or dolly or trailer

2)      An eligible vehicle operating up to a conditional mass listed in Table 1 must comply with the following axle spacing requirements:

Figure 1:                Minimum of 7.0m

a)      The minimum distance from the centre line of the rear most axle of the prime mover to the centreline of the foremost axle trailer must be 7.0 metres (see figure 1); and

Figure 2:                            Minimum of 8.7m

b)      The minimum distance from the centre line of the rear most axle of the dolly to the centreline of the foremost axle trailer must be 8.7 metres (see figure 2).

3)      Minimum ground contact width for an eligible vehicle operating under table 1 must be at least 2.4m.

4)      A complying steer axle may have an additional 0.5t to that listed in table 1.

5)      The conditional masses in this section do not apply to fire trucks.

11.   Conditions – Axle masses for fire trucks

1)      The conditional masses in this section only apply to an eligible vehicle that is a fire truck.

2)      A singe drive axle on a fire truck fitted with tyres with a minimum width of 305mm may have a maximum mass of 7.5t on that axle.

3)      A single drive axle on a fire truck fitted with a minimum tyre width of 395mm may have a maximum mass of 8.5t on that axle.

4)      A steer axle on a fire truck may have a maximum mass of 6.5t on that axle.

12.   Exemption – Prescribed dimension requirements

1)      An eligible vehicle is exempt from the following diemension requirements under Schedule 6 of the Heavy Vehicle (Mass Dimension and Loading) National Regulation (MDL Regulation):

a)      section 3 – Length (combination or single vehicle)

b)      section 7 – Width

c)       section 8 – Height

2)      An exemption in 1) only applies to the extent that specific conditional dimension limits are provided in section 13 and 14 of this Notice.

3)      The exemptions in this section do not apply to an eligible vehicle that is a fire truck.

4)      If, in relation to a particular vehicle or component, this Notice provides for more than one dimension limit that apply in the same circumstances, the lower dimension limit applies, and the other dimension limit must be disregarded.

13.   Conditions – Dimensions for combinations up to 46t

1)      An eligible load carrying vehicle operating under this Notice with a mass up to 46t must, together with its load, not exceed the following dimension limits:

a)      Width - 3.0m

b)      Height - 4.5m

Note: eligible vehicles operating up to 46t in mass must comply with the length limits imposed by s3 of Schedule 6 of the MDL regulation.

14.   Conditions – Dimensions for combinations that exceed 46 tonnes

1)      An eligible load carrying vehicle operating under this Notice that exceeds 46t must, together with its load, not exceed the following dimension limits:

a)      Length – 26m

b)      Width - 4.0m

c)       Height - 5.0m

15.   Disapplication of Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation

1)      Pursuant to section 39(5) of the MDL Regulation, under this Notice the conditions in Schedule 8 of the MDL Regulation relating to class 1 vehicles are disapplied and amended to the extent indicated in this section.

a)      section 7 – Travel Restrictions at Night; and

b)      section 8 – No Travelling in Low Visibility; and

c)       Any other travel time restrictions that would otherwise be imposed under Schedule 8.

16.   Conditions – Areas and routes

1)      An eligible vehicle complying with the conditions of this Notice is authorised to operate on the following areas and routes.

a)      an eligible special purpose vehicle or load carrying vehicle that complies with section 13:

Victorian Emergency Response Heavy Vehicle Network

(46.0t GVM, 3.0m wide, 4.5m high)

b)      An eligible load carrying vehicle that complies with section 14:

Victorian Emergency Response Heavy Vehicle Network

(78.5t GCM, 4.0m wide, 5.0mhigh & 26.0m long)

2)      For the purposes of section 119(1)(a) of the HVNL, an area or route specified in a Schedule of this Notice is a stated area or route to which this Notice applies.

3)      An eligible vehicle operating on an area or route specified in this Notice or its Schedules must comply with the following conditions as specified for routes and areas set out on that map:

a)      Road conditions pursuant to section 160 of the HVNL; and

b)      Travel conditions pursuant to section 161 of the HVNL; and

c)       Vehicle conditions pursuant to section 162 of the HVNL.

Note: the networks in this section are maintained by Victorian Department of Transport and Planning and are published on its website.