There is a lot of construction work going on in the Buderim, Maroochydore and Kuluin areas of the Sunshine Coast which is needing mobile cranes to go to onsite works, yet contractors often find their hands a little tied due to current regulations. Specifically, the ability to move cranes or special purpose vehicles is restricted on state-controlled roads, but that may be about to change. Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchcliffe announced that The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and the Palaszczuk Government are doing all they can to remove the mass of red tape that exists, which is great news for crane hire companies in Sunshine Coast Queensland, and beyond.
Construction companies may soon be able to get pre-approved access to these roads, making it easier to get the equipment they need to their job sites. Paperwork will be slashed, saving time and money, which Hinchcliffe believes may well be to the tune of around $55 million over the next 20 years. Time is also a huge factor here, as businesses often had to wait as long as 28 days for permits to be approved, which would often bring the construction process to a grinding halt. This is a massive boon for both the construction industry, as well as crane hire operators who work hard to ensure that their equipment gets to its intended destination in a safe and timely fashion.
A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to make this happen, and the end results comes thanks to a direct collaboration between the NHVR and the Australian Local Government Association, State Road Authorities, the Crane Industry Council of Australia, and the Concrete Pumping Association of Australia. While the Notice is great news for crane hire and construction companies, it should be noted that strict standards still have to be met in order for the cranes and concrete mixers to be granted approval to use the roads. This is not something that should be an issue for crane hire companies who go out of their way to ensure that all the equipment they hire out is of the highest quality possible.
While this news would only really seem to affect the industries mentioned, it also has an indirect effect on all ta paying Australians. The NVHR believes that roughly 1,600 permits will be removed in Queensland alone, which will result in a massive leap in productivity numbers, as well as the ridiculous costs involved. It is believed that the next two decades will see about $130 million dollars in costs removed, which is money that would otherwise trickle down to the Australian taxpayer. That is good news for everyone, as that is a rather substantial savings.
The number of mobile cranes in operation in Queensland currently sits at about 1,200, but that number rises to 4,200 when you take into account the cranes being used in participating jurisdictions. Having these cranes being able to move freely about the state will provide a massive boost to the construction industry, and may even result in huge jobs being completed in a timelier fashion.