Oz Bans Personal Imports of U.K., Japanese Vehicles

Australia’s auto industry is welcoming a government decision not to allow the personal importation of new vehicles.

Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher says after detailed work on implementation plans, the government has decided not to proceed with one proposed change: allowing personal importation of new motor vehicles from the U.K. and Japan.

“That work has highlighted the cost and complexity of providing appropriate consumer awareness and protection arrangements, including investigation of each vehicle before it was imported to Australia; ensuring consumers were aware that the manufacturer’s warranty may not apply in Australia; and establishing systems to deal with a manufacturer’s safety recall,” Fletcher says in a statement.

He says it also would have been necessary to ensure subsequent purchasers of a personally imported vehicle were aware of this fact – and of the consequences, such as the manufacturer’s warranty not applying.

“Weighing these issues up against the modest benefits of the personal import arrangements –including price reductions estimated to be less than 2% across the market – the government has concluded that the benefits do not justify the cost and complexity of this particular change,” Fletcher says.

The decision was announced in a statement detailing plans to modernize and strengthen the laws governing motor vehicles when first supplied to the Australian market and to harmonize them with international standards.

Following a review of the existing Motor Vehicle Standards Act, Fletcher says the government will introduce a Road Vehicle Standards Bill into Parliament before the end of the year, with a view to it taking effect by 2019.

The proposed legislation is designed to modernize and strengthen the laws governing road vehicles when first supplied to the Australian market, clarify vehicle-recall arrangements, accelerate harmonization of vehicles with international standards and provide more choice through streamlining and consolidating the way non-standard vehicles are imported.

On the recommendation of police agencies, a secure vehicle identification marking will be required on new vehicles as a deterrent to theft and re-selling.