DRIVE Lite – HVCBA

Dear RTOs and assessors,

Welcome to the October edition of DRIVE Lite – Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment (HVCBA). In this edition we cover the new payment options to the HVIS booking system and an update on the Primary Producers Concession.

We also share information from the Over Height Tunnel Taskforce, Motorcycle Awareness Month and how to take extra care near drivers and motorcycle riders travelling on our roads.

HVIS booking upgrade.

Transport for NSW (Transport) is making improvements to the Heavy Vehicle Inspection Booking System as part of the Cyber Security Compliance Project.

The system will be unavailable while we make the updates.

After the updates, the booking system will cater for additional payment options with lower transaction fees:

• Visa and Mastercard: 0.44%
• American Express and Diners Club: 1.54%
• Unionpay International: 1.76%
• Paypal: 0.44%
• PayID: $0.55 flat fee.

The updates will also provide a tax invoice showing the GST amount separately, and this will be automatically sent to the customer’s registered email address.

Thank you for your patience as we make this upgrade. For any urgent enquiries during this time, please contact the HVIS Booking Line on 1300 364 847.

Over Height Tunnel Taskforce

In June 2023, the NSW Government established an Over Height Truck Taskforce, responsible for reducing over-height vehicle incidents in NSW, with a focus on Sydney’s road tunnel network.

The Taskforce is led by Transport and has representatives from the NSW Police Force, the NHVR, Road Freight NSW and the Transport Workers’ Union to drive strategies to reduce over-height breaches, educate truck drivers on load and route management, and improve operations responses to get traffic moving when incidents occur.

Under the HVCBA program, the training and assessment of licence applicants to reduce the risks associated with over-height vehicles is covered under the following criteria:

Criteria 1 Pre-Operational Checks: Vehicle Measurements, the applicant must state:

• Vehicle or Load Height
• Vehicle length
• Vehicle weight.

Criteria 10 Road Rules & Directions: Obeys Road Rules, the applicant must:

• Obey all the road rules.

RTOs and Assessors are reminded of the importance of correct completion of a
pre-operational check and compliance with road rules criteria. These are critical skills and knowledge that every heavy vehicle driver must demonstrate.

The NSW Government has increased fines for drivers of offending vehicles and increased registration and licensing suspension periods from three to six months in aggravating circumstances. The video below offers practical tips to ensure drivers know how to be certain they meet the requirements for the height of their vehicle.

Primary producer registration – 50% income requirement delayed

In 2021, the NSW Government introduced new concession eligibility criteria for primary producers. These included a requirement that heavy vehicles must be used solely for primary production purposes, and that 50 per cent of income must be earned from primary production.

The former Minister advised that the requirement to earn 50 per cent of income would be delayed until 1 November 2023 while Transport further reviewed the eligibility requirements.

To allow enough time for Transport to finalise this review and further consult with stakeholders, the current Minister has decided to provide a further delay for the requirement to earn 50 per cent of income from primary production until 1 November 2024.

For more information about the primary producer registration concessions, please visit https://bit.ly/primary-producers.  

Motorcycle Awareness Month

Transport is continuing to promote the ‘Be Truck Aware’ campaign, in particular highlighting the risks involved for motorcyclists during Motocycle Awareness Month (MAM).

MAM is an initiative of the Motorcycle Council of NSW (MCCNSW) that runs for the month of October. Motorcycle riders are overrepresented in NSW road trauma, making up 17 per cent of all road fatalities.

The Be Truck Aware campaign reminds all road users of the larger blind spots on heavy vehicles which can cause truck drivers to not always see other road users, like motorcycles. Visit the Transport website for more information on the Be Truck Aware campaign.