01Local context
Greater Sydney is not one permit area. The City of Sydney regulates hoisting above a public road, footpath or cycleway inside its local government area and explicitly includes mobile devices such as crane trucks and Hiabs. Its current process asks applicants to give at least two business days’ notice for a mobile-hoisting application and may require supporting information or a control plan.
That City process must not be presented as the rule for Parramatta, Liverpool, Blacktown, Chatswood or every other council; the location and responsible road or land authority need to be checked for each job. SafeWork NSW says common mobile-crane risks include tip or roll-over, falling or moving loads, crushing and contact with buildings, scaffolds or powerlines. It focuses on the appropriate high-risk work licence class, planning, consultation, hazard identification, site conditions and maintenance.
Its hiring guidance says the party arranging a lift should tell the supplier what is being lifted and where, prepare the site for the crane configuration, coordinate roles and exclusion zones and obtain relevant approvals. The supplier separately needs the appropriate operator, dogging and rigging arrangements, applicable plant registration, manuals, maintenance and lift information.
02Campaign and claim checks
Sydney lead forms should therefore ask about the load, lift path, setup area, ground, overhead lines, underground assets, traffic, pedestrians, site induction and responsible contact without pretending the form is a lift plan.
SafeWork’s powerline guidance also requires unsafe proximity to be prevented where reasonably practicable; otherwise a risk assessment and controls consistent with the electricity supply authority’s requirements are needed. These checks explain why a claim about a quick, tight-access or hassle-free lift must remain conditional until the site and load have been assessed.
