PROPOSED CHANGES TO LEGISLATION WILL COST AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY HUNDREDS OF JOBS
See below form the Australian Imported Motor Vehicle Association (AIMVIA) and especially the last paragraph on grave concerns over integrity within this Government Department doing this review on the Motor Vehicle Standards Act.
PROPOSED CHANGES TO LEGISLATION WILL COST AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY HUNDREDS OF JOBS
MEDIA RELEASE – 16 August 2017 **FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION**
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The imported vehicle industry has been dealt a massive blow with sweeping changes to importing regulations announced by Minister for Urban Infrastructure, Paul Fletcher this morning.
Despite recommendations from two separate independent reviews and other government-commissioned reports, the federal government has capitulated to heavy lobbying by vested interests, scrapping the option for private citizens to import their own new vehicles from overseas. Without this competition in the marketplace, Australians will continue to pay some of the highest retail prices for vehicles in the western world.
In what is seen as a double blow to the industry, AIMVIA estimates that proposed changes to the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS) will reduce imported vehicle numbers by more than 50 per cent, resulting in most of the 142 registered workshops and many more ancillary businesses closing their doors.
AIMVIA President, Jack Sandher is blunt. “It will mean the decimation of our industry, there’s no other way to describe it. The association and its board has devoted hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours to regular meetings with politicians and departmental staff across Australia over the last four years, only to be ignored at the finish line. At a time when the automotive industry is already shrinking, it is ludicrous that the “government for small business” is prepared to watch 142 small-to-medium enterprises go to the wall for the sake of protecting the profits of overseas vehicle manufacturers.”
Furthermore, AIMVIA now has grave concerns for the integrity of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act review process itself. It has recently come to light that a senior government official charged with the task of overseeing the policy review and revision has just accepted a newly-created role within one of the industry associations heavily petitioning the government to tighten the Act and prevent further competition. AIMVIA intends to investigate this matter further.
