The floating tonne

A regulation allowing a floating tonne looks likely after the recent Ministerial Council on Transport and Infrastructure in Alice Springs. The floating tonne rule should allow for a one tonne mass to be transferred to a tri-axle group from other axle groups, as long as the overall vehicle mass does not exceed the limits for the vehicle operating under general mass limits.

Ministers at the meeting agreed to the amendment and it is expected to be introduced into the Queensland Parliament as an amendment to the National Heavy Vehicle Law in the next few months, for implementation in the near future.

This Ministerial Council was the first since last December’s decision by the Council of Australian Governments to institute a new Council system to facilitate national reforms.

Other decisions effecting the move to national regulation was the approval of the corporate plan for the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator from 2014 to 2017 and finalising of the budget for the next financial year at the $135 million level agreed previously.

Ministers also agreed to look at getting closer to introducing electronic work diaries (EWD) and consider legislative drafting instructions at their next meeting in November, at which time a policy ids expected to be released by the National Transport Commission. Any EWD introduction is expected to be voluntary only.

The Council agreed jurisdictions will commence work to implement initial heavy vehicle investment and access reform measures. It will be looking into the possible next steps in heavy vehicle charging and investment reform at the next meeting. Policy will use the, recently completed, Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment report into truck road charging. Mass/distance/location charging is likely to be near the top of the agenda with this reform.