Rover Compliance & RVSA Certification
The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 is the current framework for any vehicle looking to be supplied to the Australian market for the first time, with the Australian Government making it mandatory to comply with from July 2023. Through the Act and other related Road Vehicle Standards Legislation
The legislation covers manufacturers and importers providing road vehicles and road vehicle components on full scales under Vehicle Type Approvals (VTAs) and Component Type Approvals (CTAs) along with smaller scale approvals for personal imports, one off builds, special purpose vehicles and more under the Concessional RAV Entry approval (CRE) pathway. The legislation also covers vehicles not intended for road use but requiring importation into Australia.
BTT Engineering have been involved in federal compliance certifications since the previous Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and have worked with the new ROVER system since its inception.
What is the ROVER System?
The ROVER system is an online portal which contains data on approved road vehicles and road vehicle components. The portal is also used by individuals or businesses looking to submit a new application or manage existing approvals. The ROVER portal replaces the previous Road Vehicle Certification System (RVCS) pathway to compliance enabling approvals to be submitted online compared to the old system which consisted of the use of a specific program to compile and submit approvals. Like the MVSA, anyone from the general public can log on and view any type approval and its road vehicle descriptor (RVD), containing key information such as major dimensions, engine properties and VIN locations.
Understanding RVSA Certification
For any manufacturer or importer looking to supply road vehicles to the Australian market an application needs to be submitted through the ROVER portal. Those looking to supply vehicles in commercial quantities will require a vehicle type approval (VTA), a form of approval which replaces the Identification Plate Approval (IPA) pathway under the MVSA. A new approval pathway for smaller scale approvals has been introduced, known as a concessional RAV entry (CRE) approval. In both approval pathways, applicants or their delegates must upload vehicle and compliance information relevant for the type of application which gets submitted to the department for assessment.
Road vehicle components are not mandatory to get approved through the RVSA legislation similar MVSA requirements. Manufacturers looking to supply road vehicle components can however apply for a component type approval (CTA) as an easy way to demonstrate compliance with the applicable road vehicle standards, similar to the component registration number (CRN) pathway under the previous legislation. Like a VTA or CRE application, detailed information must be supplied with the application showing compliance with one or more Australian Design Rules (ADRs).
Once manufacturers and importers have a type approval in place, they are responsible to keep compliance information and design changes up to date through varying approvals when required
What are the new RVSA Requirements?
Low ATM Trailers
Manufacturers and importers of low ATM trailers, that is trailers with an aggregate trailer mass of 4.5 tonnes or less, now require a vehicle type approval (VTA) to be able to supply more than four (4) trailers in a 12 month period to the Australian market. Previously under the MVSA manufacturers were able to self-certify their trailers without a requirement to maintain compliance evidence and get a vehicle identification number (VIN) from their state government - now manufacturers and importers must ensure they have supporting information to demonstrate their vehicle complies with the relevant Australian Design Rules (ADRs). Manufacturers generate their own VINs through NEVDIS registration, although this is only permitted for Australian manufactured trailers - importers must arrange for VINs to be supplied from the country of origin.
Individuals looking to manufacture an one-off trailer (or up to 4 units in a 12 month period) can still carry out this process and register their trailer via submitting a concessional RAV entry (CRE) approval application. A CRE approval will come with a VIN and does not require a quality management system to be in place unlike a vehicle type approval. Subsequent versions of resources such as Vehicle Standards Bulletin (VSB) 1 for building light trailers has been updated to reflect the new RVS legislation and is still a helpful tool for manufacturers trying to build trailers
Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV)
The RAV is a register which a road vehicle will typically have to be listed on prior to being eligible for registration in Australia for the first time, with the notable exemptions being vehicles intended for restricted or no road use. Vehicles submitted via the concessional RAV entry approval pathway will be immediately added to the RAV provided that all eligibility criteria is met such as complying with the relevant ADRs. Vehicle type approval (VTA) holders have to make a separate submission to the RAV for each road vehicle seeking registration. The RAV can essentially be considered a digital compliance plate with a public search available which has compliance information listed for a particular VIN, with this being particularly useful for trailers who previously would have no way of determining the aggregate trailer mass, gross trailer mass and other properties if the compliance plate was damaged.
Quality Management System (QMS)
An manufacturer of a road vehicle or road vehicle component seeking to hold a type approval under the RVS legislation need to have a QMS in place which details the manufacturing process and other quality protocols in place giving a clear indication that the manufacturer can demonstrate control over the design and manufacture. Previously only a brief compliance statement was required for type approval holders therefore a QMS is a significant step up from the MVSA requirements.
Vehicle Marking - ADR61/03
Australian Design Rule 61/03 provides information relating to the marking of vehicles supplied under the RVSA legislation. A major change is the removal of requirements for a compliance plate to be fitted to vehicles, with a secure vehicle identification marking (SVIM) required instead with less information mandatory. Compliance information can instead be found from looking up the RAV entry for a particular VIN.
Our ROVER Compliance and RVSA Certification Services
ROVER Trailer Compliance
With light trailer manufacturers now requiring vehicle type approvals to supply commercial quantities of low ATM trailers in Australia, the ROVER approval process is a completely new set of requirements to previous processes. Even those looking to manufacture a one-off trailer need to utilise the CRE pathway. BTT Engineering has worked with hundreds of clients to help them understand their obligations and assist with generating compliance information and submitting approvals. With the application for any light trailer approval being declaration-based, many applicants do not understand that simply ticking the required boxes during the application without the necessary evidence on file can leave them at risk of being sanctioned under the RVS legislation, therefore BTT Engineering's expertise is invaluable in ensuring that the legislation can be complied with in full.
Get more information on our trailer engineering
Vehicle Type Approval submissions and other approvals
BTT Engineering can assist clients in submitting any vehicle type approval or concessional RAV entry approval application including passenger vehicles, buses, commercial vehicles or a different trailer type such as dog trailers, semi trailers and pig trailers. These applications require detailed vehicle and compliance information to be submitted for each ADR, making the application process a significant undertaking for those without major experience in vehicle approvals or lacking the time to dedicate to completing a submission. Clients can grant BTT Engineering Authority to Act on their behalf via either the ROVER portal itself or through a signed letter on their business letterhead and leave us to organise any new approvals or updates to existing approvals.
ROVER Registered Test Facility Approval (TFA) ADR testing
BTT Engineering is capable of completing ADR testing to the majority of in-force Australian Design Rules through their test facility approval (TFA). Under the RVSA, any testing results being submitted for a ROVER approval must come from a test facility registered in Australia, meaning that clients require an approved testing specialist such as BTT Engineering to conduct any testing to be used for approval. Particular testing which BTT specialises in is drawbar and safety chain testing through our in house test jig and ADR brake and noise testing through our top of the range V-Box 3i test equipment.
Why Choose BTT Engineering for trailer compliance & RVSA certification?
BTT Engineering through the experience of its team has worked in the vehicle compliance space for a number of decades, therefore knowing expectations of the department and how ADR evidence should be compiled and presented. We have worked extensively with the new ROVER system and can take control of any approval or application, even one that is partly complete, to relieve clients of the stress from not knowing how to get an approval correctly.
Our approach is to provide clients with assistance personalised to their requirements. We are happy for clients to engage us for a small part of the overall approval process, such as testing to a single ADR or doing the final submission only, or manage the entire approval from start to finish including generation of all ADR evidence and submission of approvals. We understand that some clients work on a tight budget and therefore will provide services to suit that budget which deliver maximum value for the client.
For further information on some of our particular ROVER services, please follow the links below:
The ROVER Compliance Process
Clients looking for assistance with the ROVER compliance process with BTT Engineering should expect the following steps.
Initial consultation to understand particular requirements
Review of any existing information client can supply
Quote for generation of requested evidence and/or ROVER submission
BTT arranges completion of necessary ADR testing, analysis or generation of information
BTT completes submission of approval into ROVER system
BTT manages any requests for further information from the department
Client receives approval in ROVER and all relevant compliance information from BTT in easy to understand and organised format