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Changes as a result of the delayed commencement of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation

The Australian Government recognises that some stakeholders have been adversely affected by the postponement of the commencement of the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation.

It is not the Government’s intention to unnecessarily disadvantage businesses or individuals as a result of this decision. The Government therefore intends to implement a range of measures to minimise the negative impact of the postponement on affected stakeholders.

In essence, this will entail enabling access to specialist, enthusiast and older vehicles (vehicles older than 25 years old) that would been available under the RVS legislation had it commenced. The Government has commenced working with industry representative organisations on the detail of these measures to enable practical implementation from 10 December 2019.

More detailed information will be published on this website once this work has been finalised. For more detailed information on changes that will apply to Registered Automotive Workshops, please see the RAWS website.

Extension of commencement of Road Vehicle Standards legislation

The Australian Government has extended the commencement date of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation to ensure that governments, manufacturers and importers have sufficient time to prepare for the transition to the new arrangements.

The Government will continue to work with all affected stakeholders to agree on and set a new commencement date, which will be no later than 1 July 2021. Further updates on matters related to the Road Vehicle Standards legislation will continue to be posted on this website.

• Diagram – Amendment to the commencement of the RVS legislation PDF: 497 KB 
• Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 consultation

The Road Vehicle Standards legislation

On 28 November 2018, the Hon Michael McCormack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, announced that the Road Vehicle Standards Bills passed through Parliament. The Bills subsequently received Royal Assent on 10 December 2018. The commencement date of the main provisions of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 has been postponed by the Road Vehicle Standards Legislation Amendment Act 2019 (RVSLAA). The new commencement date will be set by proclamation or by 1 July 2021 if not set before this date. The commencement date will also mark the commencement of a 12 month transitional period during which transitional arrangements will be in place, allowing some approval holders to continue operating under existing approvals. The Road Vehicle Standards package of legislation includes:

The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) as amended by the RVSLAA will replace the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MVSA) and deliver an updated and modernised system to regulate the first provision of road vehicles to the Australian market.

The Road Vehicle Standards (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2018 as amended by the RVSLAA contains provisions to support the commencement of RVSA as it replaces the MVSA as the Australian Government's primary legislation for regulating road vehicles.

The Government recognises that existing businesses will need additional time to transition their operations into the new regulatory arrangements. This Act enables most MVSA approval holders to be able to continue importing and providing vehicles under their existing approvals until late 2020.

The Road Vehicle Standards Legislation Amendment Act 2019 amends the commencement dates of provisions in the RVSA and the Road Vehicles Standards (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2018.

The Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition – General) Act 2018;

The Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition – Customs) Act 2018;

The Road Vehicle Standards Charges (Imposition – Excise) Act 2018 provide authority for the Australian Government to impose charges to recover the costs associated with the administration of the RVSA.

RVSA Implementation Consultation Framework

The Government will continue to work with stakeholders to implement the detailed aspects of the reforms and has established a number of consultation groups to facilitate the smooth implementation of the new legislative framework. These groups aim to provide a collaborative forum that will enable the Government, in-service regulators and industry to identify any issues relevant to the administration of the new legislation through a targeted consultation process.

• Minister McCormack Media Release of 28 November 2018, Simpler Laws for Safer Vehicles

RVSA Guidance Material Consultation

Detailed consultation is being undertaken on a range of guidance material that will be developed to support the implementation of the RVS legislation.