What's new

Possible extension of commencement of Road Vehicle Standards legislation

The Australian Government is seeking to extend the commencement date of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation following an extensive consultation process. Feedback has indicated that industry needs more time to plan and implement changes to ensure a smooth transition to the new regulatory framework.

The Government has therefore introduced legislation into Parliament that, if passed, will delay commencement of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 and related legislation.

The Government remains committed to implementing these policy reforms, but rather than risk disadvantaging Australian businesses that may not be sufficiently prepared for the reforms, the Government will seek to set a new commencement date in consultation with all affected industry sectors.

• Diagram – Proposed amendment to the commencement of the RVS legislation PDF: 511 KB 
• Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 consultation
• Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019 released

The Road Vehicle Standards legislation will commence on 10 December 2019

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 and the main provisions of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 will come into effect on 10 December 2019. This date also marks 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 until 10 December 2020. The Road Vehicle Standards package of legislation includes:

The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RVSA) 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 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 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.