USBs help keep roads safe during harvest

Agricultural machinery owners and operators are invited to get road ready for the 2026 harvest season, by picking up a free 'Moving Harvest Machinery' USB from all agricultural machinery retailers and rural supply stores in the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire areas. The USBs will also be available at these councils' administration offices. The ‘Moving Harvest Machinery’ USBs contain all the relevant notices for safely and legally moving agricultural machinery, combinations and trucks on the road, along with other useful information. They are available for collection now. Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils' road safety and injury prevention officer Melanie Suitor said the councils develop and distribute the USBs each year to help farmers and contract harvesters have all the relevant information at their fingertips - and they are usually extremely popular. "Safety and compliance during the busy harvest period is very important. Operators need to be aware of their responsibilities and ensure that all warning devices and travel requirements are adhered to," Ms Suitor said. "Regulations do change and these USBs help to ensure that people have up-to-date information. "The USB contains the relevant notices, operator guides and other useful information. It also contains a live 'link's' document, which provides the web address for the documents on the USB and other useful tools and information. "It is advisable to regularly check the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator's website (www.nhvr.gov.au) for updated notices and/or changes to operating conditions." There are more than 800 USBs available - so call into your local agricultural machinery retailer, rural supply store or the Parkes, Forbes or Lachlan Shire Council administration offices to collect yours before they are gone. "As in previous years we also have a limited number of windscreen stickers to give away. You can attach these to your machinery as a quick reference guide for travel requirements such as pilots, lights and signage," Ms Suitor said.