New Road Vehicle Safety Act to be introduced

Caravanning Industry welcomes Government moves to strengthen trailer safety standards. 

Caravan Industry Association of Australia warmly welcomed the announcement by the Commonwealth Government, that it will introduce a Road Vehicle Standards Bill into Parliament before the end of the year.

The announcement after a four-year review and consultative process of the 1989 Motor Vehicle Standards Act, will provide for better consumer outcomes and greater certainty within industry with more appropriate regulatory enforcement measures to be introduced.

CEO of Caravan Industry Association of Australia, Stuart Lamont said, “The Australian caravanning industry has an exceptional story to tell.  Caravanning and camping is a dynamic and growing industry, which provides positive impacts through regional dispersal, job creation, and social connectivity.”

The number of caravans and campervans on Australia’s roads has been steadily increasing over the last six years, and are at some of their highest production levels in over 37 years.  Combined registrations of caravan and campervans peaked at a record high of 615,301, which included 554,344 caravans and 60,957 campervans, for the year ending January 2016, 70% of which were manufactured in Australia.

Mr Lamont went on to say, “The increasing demand for the caravanning and camping lifestyle in Australia, whose total value of the caravanning and camping industry to the Australian economy annually is an estimated $19.02 billion, is built around consumer confidence in the product and having the highest safety standards”, Mr Lamont said.

“We therefore congratulate the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP and his Cabinet colleagues, including the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport on their successful working through of complex measures through extensive consultation to ensure the Road Vehicle Standards Act could be legislated.”

The new legislation will see better identification of caravanning product and a consistent approach to both locally manufactured and imported product.  Importantly it will also see improved enforcement provisions surrounding what is already one of the toughest compliance standards globally within the industry providing greater confidence and certainty for manufacturers and importers seeking to supply product into a highly competitive market.

“We are encouraged that Australian consumers will be better protected through the strengthening of the laws governing trailers in the Australian market in the Act and thank the Coalition for their support for Caravanning Industry more generally.” Mr Lamont concluded.

Caravan Industry Association of Australia looks forward to continuing to work closely with the Government through the legislative process and subsequent implementation phase of the new provisions.

If you have any questions please direct them to Stuart Lamont (CEO) 03 9815 2015 or Info@caravanindustry.com.au