RVSA opt-in approvals nearing expiry
If your business opted into the Road Vehicle Standards Act (RVSA) approval process during the transition period in 2021, your five-year vehicle type approval may be approaching its expiry, likely by the end of 2026.
To ensure continued compliance and uninterrupted operations, suppliers should:
- Review your current approval in the ROVER system to confirm the expiry dates
- Prepare to apply for a new vehicle type approval before the current one expires
- Submit your renewal application early to avoid possible delays in vehicle registration or entry to the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV)
Failure to renew on time may result in suspension of approval and disruption to vehicle supply chains.
For more information or assistance with the renewal process, visit the Department of Infrastructure’s RVSA page.
NHVR and BIC launch driver safety screen guidance
Bus Industry Confederation key members, in collaboration with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), launched the materials to support simplified pathways of driver safety screens in buses early in September. This initiative responds to the growing need to protect drivers from physical assault, particularly in light of increasing antisocial behaviour.
The NHVR Exemption Notice, supported by the BIC Guidance Document, outlines key considerations for manufacturers, operators, and screen suppliers. It provides information on vehicle standards requirements and exemptions needed (where necessary) for in-service modifications, including visibility, glazing, ventilation, and emergency access.
This collaborative effort between the BIC and NHVR marks a significant step forward in enhancing driver safety across the bus industry, with the official launch.
New VTA regulations effective 1 Nov 2025
To comply with new regulations effective 1 November 2025, vehicle type approval (VTA) holders must notify the Department of Infrastructure if their VTAs are not subject to ADR 109/00. This applies to approvals covering only internal combustion engine (ICE) variants, which are exempt from the electric power train safety requirements.
The following advice is direct from DITRDCA…
From Saturday 1 November 2025, the following Australian Design Rule (ADR) requirements will apply to passenger and commercial vehicles:
- ADR 80/04 – Emission Control for Heavy Vehicles will apply to all MA, MB, MC and MD category vehicles with a gross vehicle mass greater than 3,500 kg, as well as all ME, NB and NC category vehicles.
- ADR 109/00 – Electric Power Train Safety Requirements will apply to all MA, MB, MC, MD, ME, NA, NB and NC category vehicles with a maximum design speed of 25 km/hr or greater if fitted with an electric power train and a rechargeable electrical energy storage system (REESS).
Any vehicle type approval covering one of the above vehicle categories will be subject to an automatic suspension on 1 November 2025, unless we have already:
- assessed that the vehicle type and any variants covered by your approval meet the requirements specified within the above ADRs; or
- determined that the above ADR requirements are not applicable to the vehicle type and variants covered by your approval.
If your approval only covers variants that are solely powered by a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE), read our advice on seeking exemption for ADR 109/00 below.
Why am I receiving this?
This advice is for your information only to remind you about upcoming requirements that may apply to one or more approvals you have been granted or have authority to act upon. It is not an official notice that your approvals are at risk of automatic suspension for not meeting the above requirements.
Approval holders are responsible for keeping up-to-date with all vehicle standards that apply to vehicles and variants covered by your approvals.
If you have any questions about this reminder, please email ROVERinfo@infrastructure.gov.au.
Seeking exemption for ADR 109/00
You do not need to vary an approval for ADR 109/00 if it only covers variants that are solely powered by an internal combustion engine.
Instead, please email ROVERinfo@infrastructure.gov.au a list of vehicle type approval numbers where all of the variants are not fitted with an electric power train and a REESS. This will help our assessment team examine the information in our systems and accurately identify approvals that do not need to meet the requirements of ADR 109/00.
Do not include approvals that cover both electric and ICE variants in your email. We will need to agree to vary these approvals before 1 November 2025, in response to the evidence of compliance with 109/00 that you provide. Otherwise the approval will be subject to automatic suspension under section 202 of the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019.
Please note: The email must come from the approval holder or someone that has authority to act on their behalf. We recommend that you provide this as soon as possible, so our assessors can confirm your information before the ADR applicability date.
General advice about choosing extent of compliance
When selecting the extent of compliance against a standard in ROVER, you should only select Not applicable if the vehicle doesn’t need to comply with the standard until a future date.
You should only identify an ADR Exemption if the standard includes conditions that your vehicle type doesn’t meet or exceptions that allow for an exemption. However, it is your responsibility to ensure the exemption applies to your vehicle before claiming so as part of your application.
For more information about selecting the correct extent of compliance, refer to page 12 of the Guide to vehicle type approvals.
