Mr Daley said the NSW Government decided to defer the introduction of the changes until next year following consultation with the Road Freight Advisory Council.
“The council has advised that a six month freeze would give operators time to adjust to the changes and in light of the global financial crisis, I believe that’s fair,” Mr Daley said.
“The last thing we want is to place an unnecessary burden on our freight operators at a time when many operators are already doing it tough,” he said.
Member of the NSW Road Freight Advisory Council Ron Finemore AO said the Minister and the NSW Government were to be congratulated for giving customers a fair go.
“These are difficult economic times for all and the Minister's initiative shows he's on top of the issues involved,” Mr Finemore said.
Mr Daley said Australian jurisdictions were progressively introducing the National Charging Reform Heavy Vehicle Determination.
“The National Transport Commission changes will establish new classifications for some larger prime movers and all heavy trailers, with new charges to reflect the greater impact and cost that heavier freight vehicles have on the road,” he said.
“More than 90% of small trucks will only pay a 3.2% increase, but there will be higher charges for some trucks that haul more than two trailers, such as B-doubles.
“These reforms will affect 150,000 heavy vehicles and trailers registered in NSW and we want to make sure heavy vehicle drivers aren’t hit hard by the changes.
“To help with the transition, the NSW Government will run an information campaign before the introduction of the reforms explaining how they will affect hauliers and other parts of the logistics chain,” Mr Daley said.
> National charging reforms for heavy vehicles and trailers
Buying and registering a heavy vehicle
This is a guide to buying and registering a heavy vehicle over 4.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM). It also outlines steps to avoid buying a stolen vehicle and the processes to register the vehicle.
It is important that you ensure the authenticity of the vehicle before you complete the purchase.
Although the prevalence of re-birthed heavy vehicles is relatively low in Australia, if you buy a vehicle in a private sale and the vehicle is stolen, the RTA cannot register it. You will lose both the vehicle and your money.
The best protection you can get is to buy a vehicle from a licensed motor vehicle dealer or at an auction. Licensed motor dealers and auction houses do two things: they make sure that the current owner doesn’t still owe money on the vehicle and they protect you against loss if the vehicle is found later to be stolen.
Remember:
If an offer looks too good to be true, chances are it probably is.
If you think that anything about the vehicle is not quite right, don’t take the risk.
> Buying and registering a heavy vehicle
> Frequently asked questions
Your responsibility
It is the responsibility of the registered operator to provide correct information to ensure the appropriate charge is applied. The registration label must display the nominated configuration code under which you operate the vehicle.This appears as the ‘Config’ code, eg TSV (Truck Special Purpose Vehicle). If it does not match the vehicle’s highest configuration the maximum penalty is $2200 for an individual and $11,000 for a corporation.
