Submission on Draft Land Transport Rule, Agricultural Vehicles ...

contractor conducting a ‘critical agricultural operation’ 5 to apply for a variation to the
work time rules will address this issue.
3.15 Federated Farmers supports the general obligations on employers and the selfemployed
to take all practicable steps to ensure health and safety in the workplace.
An improved alternative fatigue management scheme will also protect and improve
safety. The ‘Work Time Variation of Critical Agricultural Operations’ application
process must be user friendly and flexible enough to recognise the needs of the
agricultural industry.
4. COMMENT ON REQUIREMENTS FOR HEAVY AND OVER-DIMENSION
VEHICILES
4.1 There are several changes proposed for heavy and over-dimension vehicles:
a. Update the Rule to reflect the current practice for towing
connections between heavy agricultural motor vehicles.
b. Increase the front overhang for an agricultural motor vehicle to a
maximum of four metres measured from the front edge of the
driver’s seat.
c. Introduce rule that provides for flexibility of alternative hazard
panels. Allow parts of an agricultural motor vehicle to be painted in
high visibility paint as an alternative to displaying hazard panels.
d. Relax the requirements for agricultural motor vehicles travelling in a
convoy to be accompanied by pilot vehicles.
e. Clarify that forks and other equipment fitted to the front of an
agricultural motor vehicle do not have to be removed when the
vehicle is being operated on the road, provided the operator
complies with Land Transport Rule: External Projections 2001.
4.2 Federated Farmers supports these proposals. A brief comment on each of the
proposal follows below.
4.3 Towing connections
4.4 Federated Farmers supports the proposed change to the Land Transport Rule:
Heavy Vehicles 2004 to update the current rules around towing connections.
4.5 The present rule, which is in line with the Agricultural Vehicles Guide, has a
minimum requirement of a single safety chain. There are no further specifications for
the weight, other than that two crossed safety chains should be used if the coupling
fails as it will improve the directional control of the trailer.
4.6 The Federation believes making the amendments to Land Transport Rule listed
below will provide some much needed clarification and will make it easier for farmers
to be compliant when towing agricultural trailers and implements.
5 ‘Critical agricultural operation’ means work that is required for an agricultural purpose that must be
completed urgently to avoid the adverse impact of a biological event, including a natural phonological
process, or change in weather conditions.
6