Contents

Objective of the Rule

Extent of consultation

Material incorporated by reference

Section 1     Application

• 1.1     Title
• 1.2     Date when Rule comes into force

Section 2     Amendments relating to LPG and CNG fuel systems

• 2.1     Fuel tanks and fuel lines
• 2.2     Modification

Section 3     Amendments to definitions

• 3.1     Insertion of new definitions

 

Objective of the Rule

Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment Amendment 2005 amends Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment 2004, which sets safety and maintenance requirements for items of vehicle equipment fitted to a vehicle, including fuel tanks and fuel lines.

The objective of this amendment Rule is to transfer into the Rule the requirements in the Traffic Regulations 1976 covering equipment installation and testing of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel systems, as part of the programme of converting regulations and other secondary and tertiary legislation into plain language Rules, and to consolidate and simplify those requirements. LPG and CNG fuel systems installed in a vehicle on or after 1 July 2005 are required by a New Zealand Gazette notice to meet the new joint Australian/New Zealand Standards for LPG and CNG. This requirement has been included in the Rule.

Standards for these fuel systems are incorporated by reference in the Rule in accordance with section 165 of the Land Transport Act 1998 so that, effectively, they are part of the Rule.

Amendments applying to the approval, inspection and certification of these fuel systems have been made in a related Rule, Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance Amendment 2005 (Rule 35001/2).

 

Extent of consultation

For the purposes of consultation, a number of amendments proposed to Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment 2004 and 12 other Land Transport Rules were combined into a single draft Rule, Land Transport Rule: Omnibus Amendment 2005 (the Omnibus Amendment Rule). The changes proposed were intended mainly to convert remaining provisions in the Traffic Regulations 1976 to Rules, to update vehicle standards, to delete redundant provisions and clarify provisions and to correct some errors in Rules.

On 1 April 2005, Land Transport New Zealand (Land Transport NZ) sent a letter containing the Rule amendment proposals to about 2200 groups and individuals who had registered an interest in the Rules to be amended, and sought submissions on the proposed changes. The draft Omnibus Amendment Rule was made available through the Land Transport NZ Help Desk and was available together with Questions and Answers on the Land Transport NZ website. The availability of the draft was publicised in five metropolitan daily newspapers, Te Karere National News and the New Zealand Gazette. Land Transport NZ received 33 submissions on the draft Omnibus Amendment Rule, of which five commented on the proposals relating to alternative fuel systems.

Following consultation, the provisions in the draft Omnibus Amendment Rule were split into separate amendment Rules, including this Rule. The submissions that were received were taken into account in drafting the amendment Rules before the Rules were submitted to the Minister for Transport Safety for signing.

 

Material incorporated by reference

Documents that are 'incorporated by reference' in this Rule are available, on request, for inspection (free of charge) at the National Office of Land Transport NZ. Contact details for Land Transport NZ are listed at the front of this Rule.

 

Part 1     Rule requirements

Section 1     Application

1.1     Title

1.1(1)     This Rule is Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment Amendment 2005.

1.1(2)     In this Rule, Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Equipment 2004 is called 'the principal Rule'.

 

1.2     Date when Rule comes into force

This Rule comes into force on 1 April 2006.

 

Section 2     Amendments relating to LPG and CNG fuel systems

2.1     Fuel tanks and fuel lines

Clause 2.6 of the principal Rule is amended by adding the following subclauses (and consequentially numbering the existing clause as subclause 2.6(1)):

"2.6(2) LPG and CNG fuel systems in vehicles other than in those listed in 6.1(a) to (h) of Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002 must comply with the following standards:

• "(a) an LPG fuel system installed in a vehicle on or after 1 July 2005 must comply with AS/NZS 1425 LP Gas for fuel systems for vehicle engines.
• "(b) a CNG fuel system installed in a vehicle on or after 1 July 2005 must comply with AS/NZS 2739 Natural Gas (CNG) fuel systems for vehicle engines.
• "(c) an LPG fuel system or a CNG fuel system installed in a vehicle before 1 July 2005 must comply with the applicable standard in 2.6(2)(a) or (b), or with the applicable requirements in NZS 5422 The use of LPG and CNG fuels in internal combustion engines.

"2.6(3) An LPG or a CNG cylinder for use in an LPG or CNG fuel system must be manufactured in accordance with a standard approved under 11.5 of Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002."

 

2.2     Modification

Clause 3.1 of the principal Rule is amended by adding the following subclause (and consequentially numbering the existing clause as subclause 3.1(1)):

"3.1(2) The installation of an LPG or CNG fuel system in a motor vehicle, or the modification of such a system, must be certified in accordance with 6.5(7) of Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002 before it is charged."

 

Section 3     Amendments to definitions

3.1     Insertion of new definitions

Part 2 of the principal Rule is amended by inserting, in their appropriate alphabetical order, the following definitions:

"CNG means compressed natural gas.

"LPG means liquefied petroleum gas."