The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) has lodged a detailed submission to the Productivity Commission’s Impacts of Heavy Vehicle Reform inquiry, calling for changes to improve productivity, efficiency and safety for the crane industry.
The submission outlines how current heavy vehicle access and regulatory frameworks affect crane operations, particularly through complex permitting systems, inconsistent conditions and delays that increase costs and reduce efficiency.
CICA highlighted concerns around the way mobile cranes are classified under existing heavy vehicle categories. According to the submission, misclassification creates flow-on issues for vehicle imports, road access approvals and duplicated compliance requirements.
The council is calling for regulatory settings that better reflect the specialised nature of cranes and align with recognised international standards, with the aim of reducing red tape and supporting modernisation.
A key recommendation in the submission is support for a National Automated Access System (NAAS). CICA said a single, harmonised digital platform would improve consistency across states, speed up route approvals and reduce delays that impact crane mobilisation and project delivery.
The submission also frames access and compliance challenges as a broader productivity issue for Australia’s infrastructure pipeline and economic competitiveness, not just for individual crane businesses.
CICA thanked industry participants who contributed information to support the submission and said meaningful reform would deliver benefits for both the crane industry and the national economy.