TACC news

Red-tape reduction

6 May 2022

Driving change

As a motorist, you don’t see the volume of work that goes into ensuring all the boxes are ticked when it comes to your prize purchase. You shouldn’t have to. Part of an automotive professional’s responsibility – whether selling or repairing a vehicle – is to provide a seamless service. 

However, let me share one of the industry’s worst kept secrets – at the moment a lot of government red tape gets in the way. The result is a loss of time and money.

And let’s not forget, automotive has extensive connections with over 90 per cent of Australian industries, including strong linkages to road transport, construction, and mining – all dependent on our goods and services to sustain operations.

Revising key regulations will not only benefit those working in the industry – it will have a real impact on consumers. 

The retail sale, registration and repair of vehicles in Australia are made difficult by complex and inconsistent state-based legislation and regulation. Industry and consumers face confusing and varied red-tape requirements when acquiring, transferring or repairing a vehicle in different jurisdictions. 

Tasmanian-based automotive retailers are placed at a competitive disadvantage due to uncoordinated federal and state-based legislation. In the digital marketplace era, regulation should be simplified. 

The next Australian Government should:

• Eliminate areas of legislative conflict across jurisdictions
• Provide red-tape reduction taskforces with authority to address cross-jurisdictional inconsistencies in a measurable way.
   

Read REVolution: The automotive industry’s policy priorities for the next Australian Government.

Words: TACC State Manager, Bruce McIntosh. As featured in The Mercury Friday 6 May 2022.