The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is encouraging local councils to submit applications for funded bridge and culvert engineering assessments.
The assessments will be carried out under the NHVR’s Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP), which is designed to support local governments in better understanding their asset capability to assist in making heavy vehicle access decisions.
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said assessments are focused on bridges and culverts located on key freight routes.
“For this intake of nominations, we’ll provide assessments of local government road assets that deliver whole of network journey outcomes.
“Each assessment includes an engineering report that enables road managers to better understand their asset’s true heavy vehicle capability, to help make informed decisions on network access.
“These assessments will build on the almost 400 assets already assessed in Phase One of the Project,” Mr Petroccitto said.
The NHVR has received a total of $20 million from the Federal Government to deliver the project, which includes assessments for the next three years.
Nominations close Wednesday 8 June 2022.
In related news, Roads Australia has revised its strategic plan to align with rapidly evolving community expectations.
Launching the document this week, RA President Michael Bushby said disruption has become a defining characteristic of our era.
“[It’s] occurring in every conceivable fashion – whether through geopolitical developments, COVID, the influence of technology or rapidly changing community expectations,” Mr Bushby said.
“As an organisation, RA needs to make certain it is equipped to respond to changing realities – and embrace emerging opportunities.”
The plan commits RA to three overarching policy goals:
- Optimise the use of our roads for environmental, social, economic and cultural outcomes.
- Improve the stewardship of our roads for the workers on them and the people who use them; and
- Decarbonisation of the economy through integrated transport and the efficient use of resources and energy.
“These goals reflect the continuing evolution of our industry and this organisation, as we continue to broaden our focus beyond physical road infrastructure and consider how an integrated transport network can align with wider community expectations,” Mr Bushby said.