This rule sets out requirements and standards for heavy vehicle safety. It applies to vehicles with a gross vehicle mass of more than 3500kg.
Note: Both of these pages will also provide links to the consultation material – such as summary of submissions and FAQs (questions and answers) – for each version and amendment.
Questions and answers are provided to accompany a new rule or amendment when they are signed. These and other consultation documents on this page have not been updated to take into account any later rule amendments and are retained for historic interest only.
With the exception of Land Transport Rule: Heavy Vehicles Amendment 2008 (Rule 31002/3) (the Heavy Vehicles Amendment) these amendment Rules were signed by the Minister for Transport Safety in December 2007. The Heavy Vehicles Amendment was signed in March 2008.
These amendment Rules were all consulted on as part of the draft Land Transport Rule: Omnibus Amendment 2007 (the Omnibus Amendment Rule).
Following consultation, the provisions in the Omnibus Amendment Rule were split into separate amendment Rules. An eleventh amendment Rule consulted on in the Omnibus Amendment Rule, Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Amendment [2008], has yet to be signed.
The amendment Rules make relatively minor changes to Rules. The amendments are required:
The Heavy Vehicles Amendment comes into force on 28 April 2008. The other amendment Rules came into force on 17 January 2008.
Yes. In August 2007, Land Transport New Zealand advised about 2500 groups and individuals registered on the Rules consultation database, by letter or email, of the proposed changes and invited them to make submissions. Printed copies of the Omnibus Amendment Rule and the summary of the proposed changes were made available to people on request. The Omnibus Amendment Rule and information material were also available on the Land Transport NZ website.
Public notices seeking submissions were placed in the daily newspapers in the metropolitan centres (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin) and the Minister's intention to make the amendment Rules was notified in the New Zealand Gazette. Land Transport NZ received 35 submissions on the Omnibus Amendment Rule.
The Land Transport Act 1998 allows the Minister of Transport to make Land Transport Rules. Rules are drafted in plain English and go through an extensive consultation process with interested groups and the public. This is to ensure that they are easily understood and are widely complied with. Rules are usually prepared by the NZ Transport Agency under contract to the Ministry of Transport and, like regulations, have the force of law.
Final Rules are available in the Resources & manuals section. Printed copies of Land Transport Rules can be purchased from selected bookshops throughout New Zealand that sell legislation. Most Rules can also be purchased from the Rule printers and distributors, Wickliffe Ltd, telephone (06) 358 8231. The Land Transport (Road User) Amendment (No 2) 2007 was drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel Office and printed copies can also be purchased through the printers of that Rule, Legislation Direct (telephone (04) 568 0005).
Rules may also be inspected at the NZTA's regional offices.
A newsletter outlining the changes to the Rules is sent to groups and individuals who registered their interest in the Rules that have been amended. Stakeholders and industry groups likely to be directly affected by specific amendments are also sent information about the changes.
NZTA updates, fact sheets, and other information material available on NZTA website to reflect the changes brought about by the amendment Rules.
You can contact the NZTA Contact Centre on 0800 699 000 for more information about the Rules.
Page created: 20 March 2008
