Australia should keep its technical design rules for trucks and heavy trailers but completely harmonise its light vehicle rules with international standards, Australian Trucking Association chair Mark Parry said.
Mr Parry was releasing the ATA submission to the government’s review of Australian Design Rule (ADR) harmonisation. The ADRs are technical standards that apply to new and used vehicles provided to the Australian market for the first time.
He said Australia must retain its own design rules for heavy vehicles.
“Australia is the world leader in allowing long and heavy vehicles onto the road network,” he said.
“We have specific ADRs for issues relating to mass and the design of vehicles used in B-doubles and road trains. Other ADRs include technical requirements based on the needs of multi-combination vehicle users.”
“In addition, Australia has a domestic truck and trailer manufacturing industry that provides an individual and customised product to the local market.
“Businesses that choose to purchase Australian-built trucks and trailers for the long-haul market, hostile environments or heavy haulage applications chose those vehicles because they suit their business needs.”
Mr Parry said while the heavy vehicle ADRs should be harmonised with the United Nations regulations wherever possible, their development needed to evolve at a pace that could be met by local manufacturers and international suppliers who developed specific Australian models.
Australia’s light vehicle ADRs should completely harmonise with the UN regulations to enable global vehicle manufacturers to release new vehicles into the market with the latest technologies in a shorter time frame at lower cost.
Mr Parry added: “Light vehicles approved for release into the market would meet the latest global safety and emission standards. Australia would continue to have input into these global standards through the international standards development process.”
Australia’s wood and wood product supply chain is dominated by road and is complex, with different processing steps depending on the type of wood and its end purpose.
Latest figures show about 86.6% of domestic freight for the forest and forest products industry is hauled by road, 12% by rail and 1.4% by coastal shipping.
Furthermore, Australia’s sawmills are considered small by international standards, increasing the number of unique contact points of the supply chain and reducing the potential economies of scale available.
