Vehicle Import Regulation Changes – Committee Review

Inquiry into the Road Vehicle Standards Bill 2018 and related bills

On 28 March 2018, the Senate referred the provisions of the Road Vehicle Standards Bill 2018 and related bills to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee (Committee) for inquiry and report by 7 May 2018.

The Road Vehicle Standards Bill 2018 (the bill) seeks to replace the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and provide a new regulatory framework for the importation of road vehicles and road vehicle components into Australia. The bill includes measures to manage the risks associated with road vehicles and road vehicle components, and to ensure that road vehicles and certain road vehicle components provided in Australia meet certain safety, anti-theft and environmental standards.

The package of bills include the Road Vehicle Standards (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018, Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition—Customs) Bill 2018, Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition—Excise) Bill 2018 and the Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition—General) Bill 2018.

The related bills contain transitional and consequential provisions to support the new legislation, as well as providing for the imposition of charges for activities and services relating to the regulatory administration of the bill.

The Committee invites you to make a submission addressing all or some of the issues identified in the bills. The closing date for submissions to the inquiry is 17 April 2018.

The Committee encourages the lodgement of submissions in electronic form.  Submissions can be lodged via the Online Submission System which can be accessed at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/OnlineSubmission or can be sent by email to rrat.sen@aph.gov.au, or by post to:

Committee Secretary
Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Please note that submissions become committee documents and, absent a committee decision to the contrary, are published online. Persons making submissions must not release them without the committee’s prior approval. Submissions are covered by parliamentary privilege but their unauthorised release is not.

Please ensure that any submissions or attachments you wish to remain confidential are clearly marked as such.  A covering letter, clearly outlining the specific reasons for requesting confidentiality, should also be attached to the submission.  Please contact the Secretariat if you require further advice on any issues with regard to confidentiality.

For further information about the inquiry see the inquiry homepage at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Rural_and_Regional_Affairs_and_Transport/RoadVehicleBillPackage. Links to the bills and the explanatory memorandums are included on the inquiry home page.

If you have any questions, please contact the Secretariat on 02 6277 3511.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Jane Thomson

Committee Secretary

3 April 2018