{"id":"F2006L00272","name":"National Transport Commission (Road Transport Legislation – Higher Mass Limits) Regulations 2006","slug":"national-transport-commission-road-transport-legislation-higher-mass-limits-regulations-2006","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"26 of 2006","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":116851,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2006L00272-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Regulations","content":"#### 1 Name of Regulations\n\n  These Regulations are the National Transport Commission (Road Transport Legislation—Higher Mass Limits) Regulations 2006.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"#### 2 Commencement\n\n  These Regulations commence on the day after they are registered.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Road transport legislation—higher mass limits","content":"#### 3 Road transport legislation—higher mass limits\n\n  For section 7 of the National Transport Commission Act 2003 (the NTC Act), Schedule 1 sets out road transport legislation, in the form of a Bill for an Act, about increased vehicle mass limits.\n\n> Note 1: The road transport legislation set out in Schedule 1 does not have the force of law (see paragraph 7(2)(a) of the NTC Act).\n\n> Note 2: These Regulations must be made in accordance with the Agreement (see subparagraph 3(b)(ii) of the NTC Act).\n\n> Note 3: These Regulations are not subject to disallowance—see regulations made for the purposes of paragraph 44(2)(b) of the Legislation Act 2003.\n\n> Note 4: These Regulations are not subject to sunsetting—see regulations made for the purposes of paragraph 54(2)(b) of the Legislation Act 2003.\n\n> Note 5: The text set out in Schedule 1 is that of a draft Bill for an Act, Higher Mass Limits—Legislative Package, prepared for the former National Road Transport Commission. It was approved in that form by the Australian Transport Council on 10 March 2000, but was never actually enacted. The text set out in Schedule 1 has been formatted in accordance with current drafting practice (including styles of provision numbering and cross‑referencing).","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Preliminary","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"Higher mass limits","content":"## Part 2—Higher mass limits","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Higher mass limits mode operations permitted","content":"#### 4 Higher mass limits mode operations permitted\n\n  (1) Despite the provisions of the (name of any Acts specifying mass limits) an eligible vehicle may operate on a road in higher mass limits mode if:\n    (a) the relevant axle group of the vehicle is fitted with a certified road‑friendly suspension; and\n    (b) where the relevant axle group is a tri‑axle group, the operator of the vehicle is an accredited operator.\n  (2) Despite subclause (1)(a) the steering axles of long combination vehicle prime movers (ie, road trains and similar) fitted with wide single tyres may be an eligible vehicle without road‑friendly suspension on the steering axles.\n  (3) Despite subclause (1) an eligible vehicle is not authorised to operate with a higher mass on a relevant axle group if it would not be authorised to operate with the maximum mass shown in column 2 in respect of that axle as specified in the Table set out in clause 5 by virtue of any other provision of the (name of any Acts specifying mass limits).\n\n> Note: Vehicle Components/GCM ratings must be appropriate for Higher Mass Limits.\n\n  (4) An eligible vehicle may operate in higher mass limits mode although the effect of doing so means that the mass of the vehicle exceeds a mass limit imposed by the (name of any Acts specifying mass limits) in respect of the vehicle or, where the vehicle is part of a combination, the combination.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Higher mass limits mode","content":"#### 5 Higher mass limits mode\n\n  An eligible vehicle is operating in higher mass limits mode if the mass on an axle group of the vehicle is more than the mass specified in column 2 of the following Table opposite that axle group but not more than the mass specified in column 3.\n\nPenalty applies\n\nTable\n\n| Column 1                                                                                                            | Column 2                                 | Column 3                           |\n| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |\n| Type of axle group                                                                                                  | Maximum mass permitted by mass limit Act | Maximum mass permitted by this Act |\n| tandem axle                                                                                                         | 16.5 tonnes                              | 17.0 tonnes;                       |\n| tri‑axle groups                                                                                                     | 20.0 tonnes                              | 22.5 tonnes;                       |\n| single drive axles on bus                                                                                           | 9.0 tonnes                               | 10.0 tonnes                        |\n| six tyred tandem axle                                                                                               | 13.0 tonnes                              | 14.0 tonnes                        |\n| steering axles of long combination vehicle prime movers (ie, road trains and similar) fitted with wide single tyres | 6.0 tonnes                               | 6.7 tonnes                         |","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Route limitations","content":"#### 6 Route limitations\n\n  (1) The Authority may (by Notice in the Gazette/by Order) specify:\n    (a) routes and/or zones that eligible vehicles when operating in higher mass mode must use; or\n    (b) roads that must not be used by eligible vehicles when operating in higher mass mode.\n  (2) A person must not drive an eligible vehicle when operating in higher mass limits mode contrary to a restriction imposed in accordance with subclause (1).\n\nPenalty applies\n\n  (3) A person must not drive an eligible vehicle when operating in higher mass limits mode unless there is carried in the cabin of the vehicle a copy of any (Notice given/Order made) under subclause (1).\n\nPenalty applies","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Route limitations—extended offence","content":"#### 7 Route limitations—extended offence\n\n  A person must not cause or permit another person to drive an eligible vehicle when operating in higher mass limits mode contrary to a restriction imposed in accordance with subclause 6(1).\n\n> Note: Parties other than the driver. This provision will be reviewed for consistency with Chain of Responsibility principles following the completion of the NRTC Compliance & Enforcement Mass, Dimension and Load Restraint project.","sortOrder":11},{"sectionNumber":"8","sectionType":"section","heading":"Vehicle identification","content":"#### 8 Vehicle identification\n\n  (1) A person must not drive an eligible vehicle when operating in higher mass limits mode unless the vehicle has on it any registration and other identifying marks specified by the (name of any Acts specifying the registration marks).\n  (2) An eligible vehicle operating at higher mass limits must display, in the case of triaxle vehicles, the identifying label to show that its operator is an ‘accredited operator’.\n\nPenalty applies","sortOrder":12},{"sectionNumber":"9","sectionType":"section","heading":"Mutual recognition","content":"#### 9 Mutual recognition\n\n  (1) Vehicles permitted to operate in the higher mass mode in another jurisdiction will also be permitted to operate in the higher mass mode in this jurisdiction without further application or inspection.\n  (2) Despite subclause (1) the operator is required to comply with published guidelines for route compliance operation in this jurisdiction.\n\nPenalty applies","sortOrder":13},{"sectionNumber":"10","sectionType":"section","heading":"Indemnity","content":"#### 10 Indemnity\n\n  (1) No civil liability is incurred by the accrediting agency or any person engaged in the administration of this legislation for an honest act or omission in the exercise or discharge, or purported exercise or discharge, of a power, function or duty under this legislation.\n  (2) A liability that would, but for subsection (1), lie against the person lies instead against the Crown.","sortOrder":14},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule—Performance standard for road‑f","sectionType":"part","heading":"Schedule—Performance standard for road‑friendly suspension","content":"## Schedule—Performance standard for road‑friendly suspension\n\n  A suspension system is road‑friendly for the purpose of this legislation if it has the performance and component requirements specified in this Schedule.\n  Performance requirements\n  During free transient low frequency vertical oscillation of the sprung mass above an axle or axle group, the measured frequency and damping with the suspension carrying its maximum legal load must fall within the following limits:\n    (a) the frequency of the sprung mass above the axle or axle group in a free transient vertical oscillation must not be higher than 2.0 Hz;\n    (b) the mean damping ratio must be more than 20% of critical damping (Co) for the suspension in its normal operating condition;\n    (c) the damping ratio of the suspension with all dampers (if fitted) removed or incapacitated must be not more than 50% of the mean damping ratio;\n    (d) in the case of multiple axle groups the static load share between axles in the group must be within 5%.\n  Components\n  Dual tyres must be fitted on the axles except in the case of a six tyred tandem axle group where one axle in the group may have single tyres fitted.\n  Definitions for the purpose of this Schedule\n\n> load‑share, in respect of a suspension system on a multi axle group, means a suspension system that:\n\n    (a) is built to divide the load between the tyres on the group so that no tyre carries a mass more than 5% greater than the mass it would carry if the load were divided equally; and\n    (b) has effective damping characteristics on all axles of the group.\n\n> frequency and damping:\n\n  In this definition a sprung mass “M (kg)” above a driving axle or bogie is considered.\n  The axle or bogie has a total vertical stiffness between the road surface and the sprung mass of K Newtons/metre (N/m) and a total damping coefficient of C Newtons per metre per second (N.s/m).\n  The vertical displacement of the sprung mass is Z.\n  The equation of motion for free oscillation of the sprung mass is:\n  ![](image.002.png)\n  The frequency of oscillation of the sprung mass F (rad/sec) is:\n  ![](image.003.png)\n  The damping is critical when C = Co\n  where:\n  ![](image.004.png)\n  The damping ratio as a fraction of critical damping is C/Co.\n  During free transient oscillation of the sprung mass the vertical motion of the mass will follow a damped sinusoidal path. The frequency can be estimated by measuring the time for as many cycles of oscillation as can be observed. The damping can be estimated by measuring the heights of successive peaks of the oscillation in the same direction. If the peak amplitudes of the first and second cycles of the oscillation are A1 and A2, then the damping ratio D is,\n  ![](image.005.png)\n  where ‘ln’ is the natural logarithm of the amplitude ratio.\n\n> critical damping means the minimum amount of viscous damping required in a linear system to prevent the displacement of the system from passing the equilibrium position upon returning from an initial displacement.\n\n> damping ratio means the ratio of the amount of viscous damping present in a system to that required for critical damping.\n\n> viscous damping means damping in which the force opposing the motion is proportional and opposite in direction to the velocity.\n\n> DM means the mean damping ratio.\n\n> DR means the damping ratio with all dampers removed or incapacitated.\n\n> C means viscous damping.\n\n> Co means critical damping constant.\n\n> F means the frequency of oscillation of the sprung mass.\n\n> M means the sprung mass of suspension.\n\n> K means the total vertical stiffness between the road surface and the sprung mass.\n\n> Z means the vertical displacement of the sprung mass.\n\n> A1 means the peak amplitude of the first cycle of oscillation.\n\n> A2 means the peak amplitude of the second cycle of oscillation.","sortOrder":15}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains focused on its original purpose of implementing nationally consistent higher mass limits for heavy vehicles with road-friendly suspension. The scope has not expanded beyond the 2000 Australian Transport Council policy it implements. The technical standards and vehicle configurations reflect the original policy intent without significant mission creep."},"complexity_factors":["Nested conditional logic in clause 4 with multiple 'despite' exceptions creating overlapping permissions and prohibitions","19 defined terms in the interpretation section including technical engineering concepts (damping ratio, critical damping, frequency)","Complex mathematical formulae in the Schedule for calculating suspension performance standards","Cross-references to multiple external documents: Vehicle Standards Bulletin Number 11, Draft Road Transport Reform (Restricted Access Vehicles) Regulations, NHVAS Mass Management Module, and placeholder legislation names ('name of any Acts specifying mass limits')","Table-based vehicle eligibility criteria with 7 specific configurations plus catch-all provision in clause 2(d)","Mutual recognition provisions in clause 9 creating interstate operational dependencies","Chain of responsibility extension in clause 7 imposing liability on parties other than drivers"],"plain_english_summary":"This law lets certain heavy trucks and buses carry higher axle weights if fitted with certified “road‑friendly” suspensions, enabling tandems, tri‑axles and some bus/road‑train axles to carry more load. \n\nIt affects freight and bus operators, transport authorities and road managers by boosting productivity and national consistency while protecting pavements — subject to certification, NHVAS accreditation for tri‑axles, route approvals and on‑vehicle identification."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":7,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The text implements the stated original policy: permitting certain vehicles with certified road‑friendly suspensions to operate at higher axle masses subject to accreditation, route limits, identification and technical standards. It does not broaden eligible vehicle classes beyond the instrument's Table, nor does it create powers outside accreditation, route designation, mutual recognition and indemnity mechanisms contained in the draft Bill."},"complexity_factors":["Technical performance standard in the Schedule requires measured frequency and damping tests, formulae and peak‑amplitude calculations for compliance (Schedule: Performance requirements; definitions for frequency and damping).","Accreditation dependency: tri‑axle group operation requires an accredited operator under the NHVAS Mass Management Module, creating administrative and certification costs for operators (clause 4(1)(b); definition of accredited operator in clause 3).","Undefined cross‑references and placeholders increase interpretive work: multiple references to '(name of any Acts specifying mass limits)', 'Authority means (name...)', 'mass limits Act', and drafts of other Regulations that were never made (clauses 3, 4 note, Application notes).","Route and access discretion: the Authority may specify permitted routes/zones or prohibited roads by Gazette/Order, and operators must carry copies of those Notices—this centralises decision power and creates operational route‑compliance burdens (clause 6(1)–(3)).","Mutual recognition allows vehicles permitted in other jurisdictions to operate here without further inspection but still requires compliance with local route guidelines, producing cross‑jurisdiction enforcement complexity (clause 9(1)–(2)).","Interaction with existing mass limits and other legislation: clause 4(3) preserves other statutory limits, so higher mass authorisations may still be constrained by other Acts, requiring cross‑checking of laws and weights.","Identification and labelling obligations impose monitoring costs (display of operator accreditation labels for tri‑axle vehicles and prescribed registration/identifying marks) and create an evidentiary compliance point for enforcement (clause 8(1)–(2)).","Penalties and extended offences for causing/ permitting non‑compliant driving introduce Chain of Responsibility exposure for parties other than drivers; the instrument flags a planned review for consistency with that principle (clause 7 note; clause 6(2)–(3)).","Liability allocation: indemnity shifts civil liability for honest acts/omissions by the accrediting agency or administrators onto the Crown, which alters risk allocation for accreditation bodies and could affect insurance/administration arrangements (clause 10).","Complex vehicle eligibility rules: multiple vehicle configurations, exclusions (eg. rigid truck and trailer combinations), tyre and axle definitions, and conditional exemptions (eg. steering axles with wide single tyres) create intricate eligibility determinations (Application Table; clause 4(2); definitions in clause 3)."],"plain_english_summary":"These Regulations publish a draft model Bill that allows certain heavy vehicles fitted with certified \"road‑friendly\" suspensions to carry higher axle masses, subject to accreditation, route restrictions and identification requirements. It affects operators of specified trucks, buses and combinations, accrediting agencies and road authorities because operators must meet technical suspension standards, obtain or hold NHVAS accreditation where required, comply with route orders and display prescribed markings."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/national-transport-commission-road-transport-legislation-higher-mass-limits-regulations-2006","history":"/api/acts/national-transport-commission-road-transport-legislation-higher-mass-limits-regulations-2006/history","analysis":"/api/acts/national-transport-commission-road-transport-legislation-higher-mass-limits-regulations-2006/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/national-transport-commission-road-transport-legislation-higher-mass-limits-regulations-2006/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/national-transport-commission-road-transport-legislation-higher-mass-limits-regulations-2006/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/national-transport-commission-road-transport-legislation-higher-mass-limits-regulations-2006/documents"}}