Category: Advocacy

RVSA in place but work still required

6 July 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act is now in force and will increasingly play a large role in the activities of many HVIA members.

ROVER has been let off the leash

1 July 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) has gone live this week following a much delayed, somewhat controversial development, and serious concerns about its ambitious rollout.

Updated VTA guide in preparation for RVSA go-live

30 June 21

The Department of infrastructure has updated the Guide to Vehicle Type Approvals in preparation for the RVSA going live tomorrow.

Axle mass limits key to any changes on vehicle width

23 June 21

HVIA has settled on its position on proposed changes to Australian Design Rules governing vehicle width.

Get in your CTAs and plan for your VTAs

23 June 21

With the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) going live next week, HVIA's Greg Forbes urges members to ensure they submit draft Component Type Approval applications by Friday.

Year in Review 2020/21

21 June 21

The 2020/21 year saw HVIA's largest membership growth to date, reflecting increased prominence, outcomes and value appreciated by the broader industry.

Victorian State Committee meeting going online

11 June 21

HVIA’s Victorian State Committee meeting scheduled for next Friday will take place as an online/virtual meeting only.

HVIA State Committees say ‘yes’ to truck widths and ‘no’ to trailer widths

9 June 21

HVIA State Committees are considering proposed changes to Australian Design Rules (ADR) governing vehicle width.

Release of ADR Amendment Omnibus

9 June 21

In early 2020, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development indicated that they intended to alter the process by which minor amendments to ADR’s were to be carried out.

ROVER system outage

9 June 21

Draft CTA applications will be deleted when ROVER is offline from COB 25th June to prepare the system for full Road Vehicle Standards Act commencement on 1 July.

HVIA State Committee Meetings update

2 June 21

The June round of HVIA state committee meetings kicked off in Brisbane yesterday as a hybrid in-person and on-line meeting.

Infrastructure & Transport Ministers’ Meeting

2 June 21

Infrastructure & Transport Ministers met on Friday 28 May to endorse the National Road Safety Strategy 2021 -2030, a Heavy Vehicle Road Reform Plan, the National Urban Freight Planning Principles and a roadmap for Automated Vehicle Safety.

Could changes to ADR’s see an uptake of safer heavy vehicles?

28 April 21

Yesterday the Department of Infrastructure released a discussion paper outlining possible changes to ADRs to enhance the uptake of safety features on heavy vehicles.

NHVR’s pledge to fix PBS

23 April 21

HVIA's urgent call to action for the NHVR to fix PBS approval timelines has seen a swift response.

NHVR response on PBS application processing times

22 April 21

The following communique was issued by NHVR Vehicle Safety & Performance Director Peter Austin on 22 April, responding to HVIA's earlier plea to solve the PBS approvals crisis.

RVSA Sessions Issue Summary

21 April 21

Last week HVIA ran two in-person sessions in Melbourne covering Component related and Vehicle related issues and repeated these sessions in online sessions run out of Brisbane on 15 April.

PBS Delays Hurting Industry

13 April 21

HVIA has today issued an urgent and passionate plea to the National Heavy Vehicle Industry Regulator to solve the Performance Based Standards approvals crisis.

Responsibilities and exceptions under Queensland Engineers Act

7 April 21

The Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ) recently issued a reminder of the responsibilities of a Corporation under the Queensland Professional Engineers (PE) Act 2002.

Proposed fees for Engineers Registration Scheme

7 April 21

The Victorian Government has released a proposed set of fees for the Engineers Registration Scheme and an associated RIS which commences on 1 July 2021.

Vulnerable Supply Chains in the spotlight

30 March 21

The Productivity Commission’s interim report on Vulnerable Supply Chains suggests Australia is resilient to disruption through our ability to pivot but seeks confirmation from industry.

Stronger language required around NRSS incentives

24 March 21

HVIA has called for stronger incentives for newer, safer and more productive vehicles in the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) and action plan.

Implementation team lined up to address RVSA

17 March 21

The Department of Infrastructure has released two new guidance documents the Guide to Vehicle Type Approval Opt-in Arrangements and the Guide to Vehicle Type Approvals.

Looking for answers to supply chain breakdowns

17 March 21

Supply chain resilience and its systemic vulnerability have been badly exposed by the challenges posed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The countdown is on – RVSA Checklists

10 March 21

HVIA has prepared guidance material in preparation for the introduction of the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) on 1 July 2021.

Government Backs Thousands of New Apprentice and Trainee Jobs

9 March 21

HVIA has welcomed the expansion of the Australian Government’s targeted wage subsidy program for apprentices and trainees, as part of the National Economic Recovery Plan.

Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB1) – light trailers

3 March 21

The VSB1 review includes important clarifications and expanded information on lighting and how to certify and identify imported trailers amongst other items.

Pieces falling into place for RVSA implementation

3 March 21

HVIA's review of the latest releases in the Road Vehicles Standards Act (RVSA) shows that the transition is coming together, however there are still critical procedural areas yet to be unveiled.

Have you checked the boxes for the RVSA implementation?

24 February 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act goes live in 4 months; manufacturers of vehicles and suppliers of parts need to make sure they are prepared.

Draft National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 released for consultation

24 February 21

HVIA welcomes the release of the Draft National Road Safety Strategy for comment.

Full advocacy strategies on the table at HVIA State Committee meetings

17 February 21

Agendas for 2021's first round of HVIA State Committee meetings are now available with a broad range of issues and information on the table.

NHVR says use Suzi on the semi but rubber on Dollys, Dogs or Pigs

11 February 21

The NHVR has issued a Safety Bulletin on the use of coiled air hoses (“Suzi” coils). The issuing of the safety bulletin has been prompted by several incidents where trailers have disconnected, and the air hoses have remained attached.

Updates to Vehicle Standards Guide 2

10 February 21

The NHVR has updated Vehicle Standards Guide 2 to outline some changes to the Heavy Vehicle National Law and Regulations that will come into effect from 22 February.

PBS standard for Directional Stability Under Braking

3 February 21

The NHVR has released a discussion paper on the transition arrangements for implementing the new deemed to comply provisions for the PBS standard related to Directional Stability Under Braking.

Transitioning PBS to the NHVR Portal

3 February 21

The NHVR are moving all regulator services and functions into a common platform - providing one location for regulator service delivery.

Two new NHVR Vehicle Standards Guides

27 January 21

The NHVR has published Vehicle Standards Guides covering vehicle mounted lifting systems and rear coupling on road trains.

Infrastructure updates on ROVER and RVSA

27 January 21

The Department of Infrastructure has added functionality to the Component Type Approval sections of the Road Vehicle Regulation (ROVER) system to allow users to vary, suspend or revoke their approvals.

Draft revisions of Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual

20 January 21

The NHVR has published a draft of proposed updates to the Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual (HVIM).

VSB 6 Section T – Tow Trucks

20 January 21

HVIA is consulting with members on the review of Vehicle Standards Bulletin 6 (VSB6) section relating to the design and construction of tow trucks.

Have you got your RVSA implementation plan ready?

20 January 21

All heavy vehicle manufacturers need a plan for the Road Vehicle Standards Act implementation.

Automotive vehicle trials report

7 January 21

The NTC HAS released a research report into lessons learned from on-road trials of automated vehicles in Australia.

Increase to heavy vehicle charges

7 January 21

The Transport and Infrastructure Council (TIC) has agreed to a proposal to increase Heavy Vehicle Charges by 2.5% in 2021-22.

RVSA implementation – Interim arrangements for RAWs and SEVS

7 January 21

The Department of Infrastructure has written to industry associations regarding transition arrangements for the Registered Automotive Workshops (RAWs) scheme and the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Scheme (SEVS).

ROVER release 3.0

6 January 21

The Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) implementation team has been busy over the past few weeks preparing to deploy ROVER 3.0 to production.

Open for comment – HVIM and Tow trucks (VSB6)

16 December 20

Draft documents regarding VSB6 - Section T covering Tow trucks and proposed reviews to the Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual are currently ioen for comment.

Dear Santa: HVIA wishlist for 2021

16 December 20

"2020 has been a tough year and we hope the heavy vehicle industry is on your ‘nice’ list, Santa." When we were needed the most, the Australian heavy vehicle industry embraced the challenges and kept freight moving safely and reliably. As a reward, we have penned a list that we hope Santa will consider.

Road Vehicle Standards Act Draft Determinations

15 December 20

The Department of Infrastructure has released a series of draft determinations on issues relevant to the Road Vehicle Standards Act implementation.

HVIA State Committee report

2 December 20

After a forced hiatus during much of 2020, HVIA's State Committee meetings were held in Brisbane and Perth over the last week. If you missed those there is still an online meeting Thursday 3rd December.

HVIA to outline solutions for HVNL rewrite for State Committees

25 November 20

Attendees of HVIA’s State Committee meetings will have the opportunity to inform HVIA’s submission to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) Review with the meetings kicking off in Brisbane tomorrow.

Government commences work on AVV scheme

18 November 20

The Department of Infrastructure has commenced working through the details of the proposed Authorised Vehicle Verifier (AVV) Scheme.

HVIA’s State Committees are back!

11 November 20

HVIA's State Committee meetings are ready to make a long-awaited comeback with in-person attendance for Brisbane and Perth and an online meeting catering to other members.

Time to get serious about the RVSA implementation

11 November 20

HVIA has urged members to sort out their plans for the implementation of the Road Vehicle Standards Act.

Coupling Working Group

4 November 20

Looking at proposals submitted to Standards Australia (SA) to review Australian Standards including: AS 2213.1 Commercial road vehicles ; AS/NZS 4968.1 Heavy road vehicles; AS NZS 4968.2 Heavy road vehicles; AS NZS 4968.3 Heavy road vehicles

HVNL review: consultation period extended

29 October 20

The closing date for submissions to the HVNL review consultation regulation impact statement (RIS) has been extended until Friday 20 November 2020.

Euro VI emissions systems now on the agenda

28 October 20

The Department of Infrastructure has just released consultation papers on Vehicle Emissions which looks at the introduction of Euro VI emissions systems.

Component Type Approvals – ROVER feedback

21 October 20

The Department of Infrastructure has applied the latest update to its ROVER application including addressing a number of issues related to Component Type Approvals.

Budget 2020-21: A business led recovery

7 October 20

2020 has been marred by an unprecedented global health pandemic but last night the economic realisation of this health crisis hit home. The global economic contraction in 2020 is 45 times worse than the 2009 Global Financial Crisis.

Work still to be done: National Transport Regulatory Reform

2 October 20

Heavy vehicle road reform is still a work in progress and the commitment to reform needs to continue according to the Productivity Commission's report into National Transport Regulatory Reform published last week.

Feds announce $290 million for bridges and heavy vehicle safety

30 September 20

More than 350 projects will share in more than $290 million in Australian Government funding under Round 5 of the Bridges Renewal Program (BRP) and Round 7 of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP).

Have your say on HVNL changes impact

30 September 20

It is not too late to have input into HVIA's response to the current review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

Questions over ROVER readiness to administer new certification scheme

23 September 20

Work continues on the implementation of the ROVER IT system which will replace the current certification application system, RVCS for vehicle and component certification.

Heavy vehicle industry welcomes Government commitment to future fuels

21 September 20

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) has praised the Australian Government’s funding commitment for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced on Friday.

Victoria’s (still) flawed Professional Engineers Registration Scheme

16 September 20

The Victorian Government has backtracked on a commitment that the heavy vehicle industry engineers would not be bound by the Victorian Engineers Registration Bill.

HVIA’s new tyre working group kicks off

16 September 20

Last Thursday, HVIA held the lick off meeting for the Tyre working group. Just over 25 members participated in the webinar to discuss the background and scope of what the group intends to achieve.

COR prosecution sounds warning to operators

26 August 20

The successful Chain of Responsibility prosecution of a Queensland company for fatigue related breaches sounds a warning to transport operators to take their data management responsibilities seriously.

Safety Devices to be exempted from dimension rules

19 August 20

Proposed amendments to Heavy Vehicle Standards governing dimension rules will impact HVIA members.

HVIA appeals for funding to modernise heavy vehicle manufacturing

11 August 20

HVIA has called for a further round of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund to support heavy vehicle manufacturers in retooling, re-engineering, and innovation to future-proof local manufacturing and assist Australia’s post pandemic economic recovery.

Component Type Approvals changes are a win for industry

8 July 20

After almost 12 month of negotiations lead by HVIA, the Department of Infrastructure recently revised its approach to Component Type Approvals. At an industry consultation meeting on Monday afternoon HVIA and key industry stakeholders praised the Department for responding
positively to industry concerns.

NHVR launches heavy vehicle technology blueprint

30 June 20

HVIA is excited to work with the Federal Government, NHVR and all stakeholders to improve the uptake of safety technology in Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet through the NHVR's new SETUP plan.

HVNL reset is a rare chance to iron out legacy issues

29 June 20

HVIA says the HVNL legislation review is a very rare opportunity to iron out legacy issues, making it less prescriptive and more outcome focused to harness to industry’s innovation.

HVNL Review RIS

25 June 20

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has just released the consultation regulatory impact statement (RIS) for the Review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

Infrastructure releases new position paper on Component Type Approvals

24 June 20

The Department of Infrastructure has just released a position paper on Component Type Approval — Test Reports not completed by an RVS Approved Testing Facility’ and a revised guide to component type approvals.

The paper outlines the circumstances under which the Department will accept a declaration from a component supplier along with testing results from ...

Reflections: Here’s to the year ahead

24 June 20

It is at times like these that we need to band together and be there for each other.

HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking has written to Members reflecting on 2019-20 and outlining HVIA's year ahead.

Year in Review 2019/20

23 June 20

The 2019/20 year has certainly presented circumstances and a business environment that no one could have predicted, nor would have wished for. That didn't stop HVIA and its members from rising to the challenges.

10,000 PBS vehicles is only the beginning

17 June 20

Australia’s benchmark setting Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme has celebrated its 10,000th vehicle approval recently. HVIA says it is only the beginning of the quest for a safer more productive fleet.

New timeline for RVSA changes

10 June 20

The Department of Infrastructure has just updated its RVS legislation implementation webpage, which includes a new section on our stakeholder commitment and a link to a revised RVS Legislation Program Roadmap calendar.

Consultation on Heavy Vehicle Road Reform

10 June 20

The Department of Infrastructure has published a Consultation Paper and other supporting materials looking at four proposed changes being examined as part of the ongoing Heavy Vehicle Road Reform (HVRR) Program.

Industry appeals save the crippling cost for rear marking plates retro-fit

27 May 20

The impending requirement to replace current rear marker plates to meet a new Australian Standard could cost road transport operators well over $40 million according to Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA).

Heavy Vehicle Statutory Write-off criteria

13 May 20

Austroads has approved guidelines for assessing damage on heavy vehicles to decide if they should be declared a statutory write off.

Guidelines for trials of automated vehicles in Australia

12 May 20

The National Transport Commission (NTC) is in the process of reviewing the guidelines for automated vehicle trials that were initially released in 2017.

Testing facility applications now open

6 May 20

The Department of Infrastructure has announced that organisations wishing to register as a testing facility under the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) should be able to submit applications from Wednesday 6 May 2020.

Roller Brake Tester calibration pressure eased

22 April 20

HVIA has praised the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for granting a temporary relaxation of calibration requirements for roller-brake testing (RBT) equipment.

Component Type Approvals papers released

22 April 20

The Department of Infrastructure has released two documents explaining how Component Type Approvals will be managed under the new Road Vehicle Standards Act which will come into force next year.

Revised Dangerous Goods Tanker Standard released

15 April 20

Standards Australia released the long awaited revision to two important standards that are of interest to numerous HVIA members.

Next round of RVSA consultation commencing soon

14 April 20

The Department of Infrastructure has announced that it will be releasing some additional Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) guidance material for review within approximately the next week.

Updated working arrangements for the NHVR PBS team

25 March 20

In response to the current COVID-19 situation affecting the country, the NHVR PBS team will be transitioning to a work from home model starting Monday 30 March 2020.

HVIA State Committee meetings postponed

17 March 20

HVIA is postponing all State Committee Meetings currently scheduled for April and June.

ADR 38/05 – Trailer Brake Certification – Evidence Submission Deadline

10 March 20

We would like to remind all brake kit suppliers, trailer manufactures and certifiers of upcoming deadlines regarding ADR 38/05 Trailer Brake certification.

HVIA budget submission calls for bonus investment allowance

26 February 20

HVIA has asked the Treasurer for a bonus investment allowance to be included in the forthcoming budget to incentivise capital investment on heavy vehicle factory equipment and for operators purchasing trucks and trailers.

PBS tyre report recommendations on the table

29 January 20

A review of tyre management practice in the Australian PBS system recommends a system based around the use of standard tyre characteristics for all PBS assessments.

IPA certifications back on track as brake deadline looms

30 October 19

A refreshing dose of Government/industry cooperation has seen the roll over to ADR 38/05 back on track in the face of encroaching deadlines.

HVIA has been working with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (DIT) and component manufacturers on the roll over process from ADR 38/04 to ADR 38/05, affecting Identification Plate Approval (IPA) certifications.

Type Approvals portal – user consultation

4 September 19

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (DIT) are developing a new IT system (ROVER) to support applications made under the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation.

New leadership sets new engagement strategy

6 March 19

HVIA’s new President, John Drake has wasted no time in implementing the Board’s vision by announcing new State Committees in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales to commence later this month.

Mr Drake says he is a firm believer in collaboration.

“I know – like my company – our members have strong views on topics ...

Is your evidence good enough?

6 March 19

Members who holds an approval under the the Motor Vehicle Standards Act for Vehicle, a Component (CRN) or a Sub Assembly (SARN) should undertake an audit of the evidence used to obtain the approval.

HVIA’s Greg Forbes says that changes set for implementation in the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) from December this year will ...

The Road Vehicle Standards Act is coming

28 November 18

HVIA National Manager Policy and Government Relations Greg Forbes says that the new Road Vehicle Standards Act legislation is in its final stages in Parliament and is expected to take  effect from late 2019 and be fully in place by late 2020.

In particular, truck manufacturers, trailer manufacturers and component suppliers need to understand the implications ...