Some states and territories will have travel restrictions in place over the Easter holiday period that limit travel for Class 1 heavy vehicles (agricultural, oversize/overmass and special purpose vehicles).
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has released a state by state breakdown of the most common Easter restrictions that will be in place this coming long weekend, however advises operators to also check their permits and relevant notices for what restrictions are applicable and confirm with their relevant state and territory road transport authority.
Queensland
No movement of an oversized vehicle or combination is allowed in Queensland from 12.01 pm Thursday, April 6, to 11.59 pm Tuesday, April 11, 2023. Some heavy vehicles are provided exemption to the general restrictions.
Exemptions
The following heavy vehicles are provided exemption to the general Easter travel restrictions in Queensland. The Queensland Access Conditions Guide is being amended to reflect the following information. You must check the Conditions of Operation Database before you start your journey.
Agricultural vehicles
Exemptions to Easter travel restrictions can be found in the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice Operator’s Guide.
Cooper Basin LNG and mining
An oversize vehicle under notice or permit may be driven during the Easter holiday period in the Cooper Basin where travel is directly involved with, or in support of, Liquefied Natural Gas or mining activities. The Cooper Basin map is located in the Queensland Access Conditions Guide.
Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV)
An eligible SPV of the National Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicle (up to 40t total mass) Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice (under Notice or Permit) is exempt from general Easter travel restrictions. No other conditions are applied.
Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicles
Class 1 load carrying vehicles are exempt from Easter travel restrictions for the following purposes:
- Transporting an eligible cotton harvest or associated equipment.
- An oversize vehicle up to 5.5m in width carrying agricultural equipment in association with cotton harvesting is permitted to travel during daylight hours as per section 9.3.3 of Queensland Access Conditions Guide.
- Port of Brisbane.
- A heavy vehicle or combination may travel during the Easter holiday period as per schedule 5 of the Queensland Access Conditions Guide.
- Port of Brisbane to bond store, holding yard or bulk terminal wharf.
- A heavy vehicle or combination not wider than 4.5m or longer than 30.0m that is transporting a large indivisible item, may travel between the Port (Brisbane or Mackay) and a bond store or holding yard when complying with Table 1.
No movement is permitted on Good Friday or Easter Monday.
New South Wales
State-wide oversize travel curfews are imposed during public holiday periods across the state for Class 1 oversize heavy vehicles:
Details of the travel requirements during the 2022 Easter holiday period are outlined in the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice Operator’s Guide.
No travel is permitted on any State road from 8.30 am on the first day of the public holiday to 11:59 pm on the final day of the public holiday period for any agricultural vehicle or combination operating under the Notice travelling in Zone 1:
- wider than 2.5 and/or
- longer than 22m.
New South Wales Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Operator’s Guide (PDF, 1.18MB)
State-wide public holiday travel restrictions apply for Class 1 load carrying vehicles.
Please note the New South Wales Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Operator’s Guide was recently updated so that a class 1 heavy vehicle transporting agricultural cotton may operate on the following roads during daylight hours from sunrise Easter Saturday until sunset Easter Sunday.
- the Newell Highway from north of Coonabarabran to Goondiwindi
- the Kamilaroi Highway from Narrabri to Gunnedah
- the Gwydir Highway from the Newell Highway to Warialda
- the Bruxner Highway from Boggabilla to Yetman
- the Riverina Highway from Berrigan to Finley
- the Murray Valley Highway from Deniliquin to the Newell Highway near Finlay
- the Kidman Way from Hillston to the intersection of the Newell Highway near Jerilderie
- the Mid Western Highway from Goolgowi to West Wyalong.
Victoria
No specific Easter travel restrictions in place. If you are operating under an access permit, please check for specific operating conditions that may apply.
Please note that as per the Multi-State Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Dimension Exemption Notice 2023 (No.1) and the Multi-State Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Mass Exemption Notice 2023 (No.1), an eligible vehicle must not travel on the Melba Highway or Warburton Highway on:
- a weekend or public holiday; or
- the day before the start of a holiday period; or
- the last day of a holiday period.
Western Australia
Curfew restrictions for operators of Oversize Restricted Access Vehicles (RAVs) apply during the Easter period. Operators must refer to the permit operating conditions that are relevant to the particular vehicle that they wish to operate for full details on the curfews that apply to them.
South Australia
Travel is not be permitted during Easter for oversize loads that require a police escort.
There are no specific Easter travel restrictions in place in Tasmania, the Northern Territory or ACT.