MEDIA RELEASE 4 July 2013
Duncan Gay MLC
Minister for Roads and Ports
Deputy Leader of the Government Legislative Council
Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay today announced the NSW Government has introduced an exemption to make it easier for dairy farmers to transport silage (fodder) trailers.
“Since March 2011, the NSW Liberals and Nationals Government has been working diligently to rid the farming sector of 16 years of Labor generated red tape,” Minister Gay said.
A Ministerial Order providing an exemption has been made to allow silage trailers up to three metres wide to carry a load on New South Wales roads.
Minister Gay said the red tape busting reform provides flexibility to farmers when feeding their livestock, by allowing silage produced at one farm site to be transported to another site.
“Farmers can now tow a laden silage trailer up to 15 kilometres under the exemption. Where more than 15 kilometres of travel is necessary, a specific oversize permit will allow silage trailers to travel up to 25 kilometres.
“A silage trailer doesn’t need to be registered but it must be towed by a registered or conditionally registered tractor,” he said.The exemption is only available to transport loose grass and silage material intended as feed for livestock.
The silage trailer operating conditions will ensure their safe movement on roads by requiring trailers carrying loads to meet standards for brakes, mass limits, lights, tow couplings, mudguards and suspension.
“This practical, common sense reform is the latest in a suite of measures to be introduced by the NSW Government – including width concessions for the transport of wool, hay, straw and cotton bales – to improve access to the road network, making it more efficient for agricultural industries to do business.
“The silage trailer exemption is also in line with Victorian road rules, making it easier for farmers to trade across the state border,” Minister Gay said.
The reform is the result of consultation with the Business Economics and Trade Committee of NSW Farmers Association and Diary Connect NSW.
Information on the operation of laden silage trailers is available at www.rms.nsw.gov.au
Media: Marie Scoutas 0467 739 976