Additional comments by the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party

1.1        The Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party formally offer the following comments as a follow up to the report for the consideration of the Senate committee.

1.2        We congratulate the committee on recognising the value of motorsport, enthusiasts and the aftermarket within the wider automotive industry, and calling attention to areas of growth potential.

1.3        We call on the federal government for funding to support the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (Submission 7) to undertake a feasibility study to establish a Motor Sport Centre of Excellence for motor sport training and development, including scope to pursue automotive innovation, design, and niche manufacturing opportunities in partnership with the AAAA as highlighted by the MAC (Submission 35, sections A-3e, A-4c, and section D-4). As a nation, this is an excellent initiative to assure we stay invested in product R&D. Chapter 5 did not make a recommendation in this regard. We seek more commitment from the findings.

Recommendation 1

1.4        The AMEP recommends that the government provide funding to undertake a feasibility study to establish a Motor Sport Centre of Excellence for motor sport training and development. The AMEP believes that this initiative would also provide wider opportunities for automotive innovation, design and niche manufacturing.

1.5        We congratulate the committee on the findings relating to SEV’s scheme, but request expansion to include broadening of the eligibility criteria for the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme to provide access to a wider choice of eligible makes and models. Our community remains hopeful that a wider range would be available in the future, as current limitations are caused by base model variants offered to the Australian market. The current wording of Recommendation 19 could be improved to address this concern.

Recommendation 2

1.6        The AMEP recommends that the eligibility criteria for the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS) be broadened to provide access to a wider choice of eligible makes and models.

1.7        We feel that opportunities around specialist and enthusiast vehicle manufacturing in Australia have been under stated by the inquiry. The submission by Rob Bryden (Submission 38) and the MAC (Submission 35, section D-3) highlighted this area to the inquiry based on the success realised in the UK since wind up of their vehicle manufacturing industry. We recommend consideration as part of chapter 4 and expansion for a new recommendation from the report as it requires substantial policy revision and wider support.

Recommendation 3

1.8        The AMEP recommends that the government reduce the barriers to the manufacturing of special and enthusiast vehicles by adopting a similar regulatory framework to that used to rebuild the automotive industry in the United Kingdom.

1.9        We request that a national PR campaign would also be necessary as part of the Senate report findings to promote and encourage careers in the automotive industry as part of Recommendation 13.

Recommendation 4

1.10      The AMEP recommends that a PR campaign be undertaken for automotive vocations to encourage careers in the automotive industry.

1.11      We support the removal of the financial burdens imposed on vehicle importers by prior importation schemes as a mechanism to protect domestic vehicle manufacturing, after it winds up in 2017, as well as the removal of the luxury car tax. 

1.12      We feel that the findings leading up to Recommendation 10 do not give balance to the debate on parallel imports. We request that the committee give balance to the debate by inclusion of comments from the Auto Services Group (Submission 36) and the MAC (Submission 35, sections A-5a and D-3), or consider removing it all together as the findings appear skewed.

1.13      The Recommendation 10 finding did not allow opportunity to revisit the issue from 2018, after manufacturing ceases, as it was originally intended by the Harper Review and the Productivity Commission reports. The party suggests that recommendation 10 be revised and expanded.

Recommendation 5

1.14      The AMEP recommends that further independent and objective research prior to manufacturing wind up in 2017 should explore the impacts (both positive and negative) of increased competition by allowing a suitable volume of broader parallel imported near new used vehicles into Australia. From 2018, after wind up of domestic vehicle manufacturing, the findings should be reviewed with a view to finalizing Australia’s policy position for the future.

1.15      We support Recommendation 11 to review the Voluntary Code of Practice for Access to Service and Repair Information for Motor Vehicles (the Code) by an independent body. However, we feel that the proposed timeframe of three years after commencement would delay the review unnecessarily and believe that sufficient time has passed for the review to be undertaken immediately.

Recommendation 6

1.16      The AMEP recommends that an independent review of the Voluntary Code of Practice for Access to Service and Repair Information for Motor Vehicles be undertaken immediately.

1.17      We request that taskforce covered by Recommendation 7 be commissioned to investigate the economic value of automotive aftermarket components, motorsport technology, bus, truck, mining, recreational vehicles and defence land transport manufacturing (AAAA, Submission 5). This is crucial to assist with good automotive policy formation.

Recommendation 7

1.18      The AMEP recommends that the proposed Automotive Industry Taskforce be commissioned to investigate the economic value of automotive aftermarket components, motorsport technology, bus, truck, mining, recreational vehicles and defence land transport manufacturing.

1.19      We request funding of a feasibility study to assist the AAAA to formulate a business model for industry to fund the establishment of an Australian Automotive Aftermarket Lab (Submission 5). Establishing testing and prototyping facilities in Australia would be a meaningful contribution to expanding this industry and supporting the maintenance and growth of automotive engineering and R&D. We are seeking a government commitment to this initiative rather than outright funding.

Recommendation 8

1.20      The AMEP recommends that the government provide funding to undertake a feasibility study into the establishment of an Australian Aftermarket Automotive Lab.

Senator Ricky Muir
AMEP Senator for Victoria 

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