Confused regulation holds business back

6 May 2019

Unnecessary government red-tape is hampering Australian business growth and employment.

“The retail sale, registration and repair of motor vehicles in Australia are made difficult by complex and inconsistent state-based legislation and regulation. For the sake of motorists and business owners, this should be simplified,” says VACC Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Gwilym.

Industry and motorists face confusing and varied red-tape requirements when acquiring, transferring, repairing or obtaining a roadworthy certificate in different jurisdictions. 

To remedy the situation the next Australian Government should use the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to reduce red-tape and better align state-based legislation and regulation to improve business competitiveness and consumer certainty regarding the registration, repair and retailing of motor vehicles across Australia.

“In the current digital marketplace, regulation of the retail automotive industry should be simplified. This would create a level playing field across states and territories and reduce costs for motorists and automotive businesses,” says Mr Gwilym.

The next Australian Government should use Council of Australian Governments (COAG) to identify areas for red-tape reduction and discuss opportunities to better align state-based legislation and regulation – improving business competitiveness and consumer certainty when registering, repairing or retailing a motor vehicle across Australia.

Specifically, reforms are required for the following variations in state and territory regulation:

• Application and payment of state-based motor vehicle duty
• Component or drive-away pricing
• Registration transfer processes of interstate-registered vehicles
• Classification of written-off vehicles
• Vehicle standards.

“Less red-tape is good for everyone. Importantly it allows motorists and business owners to get on with the really important things in life,” says Mr Gwilym. 

Download VACC’s 2019 Federal election manifesto Keep Australia Moving.