NHVR backs local government

The national regulator has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to working with local government to better understand its road usage needs and requirements

The Chief Executive of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), Sal Petroccitto (pictured), has expressed the organisation's support of local government in the latter's crucial role of managing 80 per cent of Australia's road network.

Mr Petroccitto was speaking at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National Local Roads and Transport Congress in Tamworth, NSW, earlier this week, where he addressed delegates alongside the recently elected ALGA President, Mayor Troy Pickard.

Mr Petroccitto said the NHVR was committed to working with the ALGA to gain a better understanding of local government needs when it came to road usage.

"I recognise that for many local governments considering whether to open up their road networks to heavy vehicles is a balancing act," he said.

"Councils have a responsibility to protect road infrastructure assets, but also know that the 'first and last' mile of many heavy vehicle journeys is vital for local productivity and to keep the country moving."

Mayor Pickard told delegates that local government invests billions in the local road network.

"It is important to protect local government's most important asset, while managing road access to maximise benefits to our community," he said.

Mr Petroccitto said the NHVR had been working hard since the introduction of the Heavy Vehicle National Law in February to gain a clearer picture of demand for road access permits and identify hot spots to help it enhance its service.

"The NHVR now has a deliberate demand-management approach and is driving down the initial need for permits by securing local government pre-approval for agreed routes," he said.

"Through partnerships with governments and industry associations, more than 500 routes are already pre-approved, mostly in Victoria and Tasmania, drastically reducing the number of access requests sent to local government road managers."

Mr Petroccitto said the NHVR was working with the ALGA to assess local government’s technical capabilities and its capacity to assess routes.

"We are developing tools with industry partners to streamline this process for local government, with the Performance-based Standards (PBS) Route Assessment Tool being a good example," he said.

"All these measures are concrete demonstrations of the NHVR’s commitment to supporting local government."

Mayor Pickard pledged the ALGA's on-going support in its work with the NHVR.

"ALGA will continue to work with the NHVR on behalf of local government to ensure road and transport reforms work for the benefit of our communities, protect our local road assets and ensure appropriate access regimes are adopted across the local road network," he said.

NHVR backs local government

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