Round 7, Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program 2020

The federal government has recently announced that, Round Seven of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program is now open for proposals by state and territory governments and local government entities in receipt of Roads to Recovery funding, and will close on 29 May 2020.

The $150m Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP) is available for infrastructure projects that will improve productivity and safety outcomes of heavy vehicle operations across Australia.

Eligible Projects

In previous funding rounds, eligible projects included: rest areas, parking/decoupling bays, road enhancements, bridges, technology trials and demonstration projects.

Examples of previously successful funding applications include:

• Round six: The upgrade of the heavy vehicle rest area at Cloncurry Saleyards with shelter, tables, seating, 24hr lighting and widening and upgrading the access road ($1,967,000).
• Round five: Extension of Giles St to the Bairnsdale Livestock Exchange ($2,755,847).
• Round four: Intersections upgrade outside Tamworth Regional Livestock Exchange ($389,104).

In this newest Round, eligible projects have been extended to include:

• Livestock transport industry proposals (provided such a facility is in a drought-declared area and associated with a public road).
• Livestock vehicle effluent collection and treatment facilities (provided such a facility is associated with a road and access is similar to that of a traditional rest area).
• Projects on the National Land Transport Network (previously excluded).

Livestock transport industry proposals may also include new or improved livestock loading or unloading ramps.

A New National Ramp Standard Pending

Improving the safety of livestock loading and unloading is particularly pertinent given ALTRA’s recent submission for a new national Standard for Livestock Loading/Unloading Ramps and Forcing Pens, which is expected to come into force later this year.

The new Australian Standard is designed to target improvements to worker safety and animal welfare across the livestock production, transport, selling and processing sectors.

“Persons referencing an Australian Standard can be confident that it is supported by industry and that it meets the host of other existing Australian Standards for the elements that comprise a ramp such as walkways, stairs and winches.” ALRTA National President, Stephen Marley.

ProWay’s proud history of livestock loading and unloading innovation

In July 2015, ProWay were invited by the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association Victoria to assist with the compilation of the “National Guidelines for Ramps and Forcing Yards”, the catalyst for ALRTA’s recent push.

Each year, ProWay build more than 200 state of the art loading ramps that champion industry best practice and lead innovative approaches to design and safety.

As well as loading ramp infrastructure, another initiative that may be applicable for funding includes ProWay’s Crate PAL (parallel access landing platform) which has been developed for safe level access for drivers while unloading cattle stock crates.

At the recent launch of the ProWay Crate PAL at Kilcoy Global Foods in Queensland, Federal Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz advised:

“It is this safety initiative that we are witnessing here today and others that we are helping to fund which hopefully will curb serious accidents and fatalities within the transport industry,” “This PAL is an initiative we need to embrace,” he said.

More Information

For more information about the HVSPP: https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure_investment/heavy_vehicle_safety_and_productivity.aspx

Application Deadline

Applications close on 29 May 2020 at 11:59pm AEST.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity, including obtaining a letter of support for your application, please contact the ALRTA Executive Director, Mathew Munro, on (02) 6247 5434 or [email protected].