Heavy farm machinery weight exemptions target early next year
Consultation is under way on exempting rigid agricultural vehicles from standard weight limits.
|October 27, 2026Listen to the full interview:
This episode featured as part of the Machinery segment in partnership with Carrfields Machinery.
Rural contractors hope heavy machinery exemptions start in the first quarter of next year.
Rural Contractors New Zealand chief executive Andrew Olsen says the proposal is at the consultation phase.
“We’re very pleased that we’ve got industry-wide support on this,” he says.
About 45 of 700 permit applications over the past five years have been rejected.
“I think that’s quite a sobering number when you think of the rubber stamp exercise to move these machines through over the last five years versus those that actually got held up and rejected.”
He says larger vehicles have tyre and axle technology that does not damage roads and bridges.
He says an exemption should also allow a central asset register, so drivers do not carry paper.
To learn more, visit ruralcontractors.org.nz
This episode featured as part of the Machinery segment in partnership with Carrfields Machinery. To learn more, visit www.carrfields.co.nz
Watch the full interview:
CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.
