Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has updated HVIA on its plans to develop a Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre (FMTRC) at Cudal, in regional New South Wales, confirming it will meet most of our requirements deemed necessary for it to accommodate heavy vehicles.
HVIA first advised members of the planned facility in August 2024, and made a detailed submission to TfNSW on the importance of ensuring that the centre’s facilities can adequately cater for the needs of heavy vehicles.
The relative lack of heavy vehicle proving grounds in Australia has been raised many times by members, and as a result HVIA advocated for a greater number of local and accessible test facilities that can accommodate heavy vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
HVIA’s submission to TfNSW included 20 requirements deemed necessary to support heavy vehicle design, validation and off-road field testing.
Encouragingly, TfNSW has indicated that 15 of those requirements will be achieved, and four will be either partially achieved, or very likely achieved. The full list is provided below.
Chief Technical Officer Adam Ritzinger says he’s “very proud” of HVIA’s efforts and the promising early outcomes.
“The new facility is set to be an excellent opportunity to build local capacity and future-proof the in-country testing capabilities for the industry,” he says.
Separately, TfNSW has released preliminary images of its concept designs for the site, and recently ran a consultation on its review of environmental factors. The concept designs are available here.
