Low volume cars allowed to be imported & remains LHD by 2019

[edgy]

I read this yesterday on another blog, I guess this article articulated the message a bit better. 

http://www.caradvice.com.au/575846/turnbull-govt-to-make-left-hand-drive-hypercars-legal-by-2019/ 

I guess we may see some 918's on the road in 2019?

[LeeM]

Read the left hand drive bit. They need to be converted for safety reasons

[Coastr]

That article is clear as mud...wtf does this mean?

 

 

Left-hand drive: originally manufactured as a left-hand drive vehicle and not available as an originally manufactured right hand drive vehicle in another world market. These vehicles will require conversion to right hand drive for safety reasons.

 

 

that contradict the article title completely?

are they seriously trying to say you can import a car with 110kw/kg power in LHD, but not others because 'safety'?

i also love the 'governmetn estimates that allowing parallel imports would only save 2%, so we're not going to allow it'

 

Don't  most of us only care about if can we buy and import an older enthusiast car and drive it in LHD, regardless of age.

The original proposals were quite sensible but I see that had no chance when graft and corruption are on the table.

if it is such a piffling amount, then go ahead and allow it, because nobody would do it, right?

Forget the mafia when the motor dealers have the ear of government.

all

[edgy]

Read the left hand drive bit. They need to be converted for safety reasons

Read again

Rarity: total worldwide production of the vehicle ‘Make’ is less than 3000 units per year; or total worldwide production of the vehicle ‘Model’ is less than 1000 units per year; or total worldwide production of the vehicle ‘Variant’ is less than 100 vehicles per year. Left-hand drive vehicles imported under the rarity criterion will not require conversion to right-hand drive but will need state or territory agreement for use on their roads.

[Coastr]

Are they saying there is no age restriction as long as it is rare?

Some tasty Porsches would fit into the < 1000 per year for model or < 100 per year for variant.

Sounds like someone like Lindsay fox  has had an input into this...cars for me, but not for thee.

Still doesn't say whether you can buy new and import from Japan though.

[edgy]

Are they saying there is no age restriction as long as it is rare?

Some tasty Porsches would fit into the < 1000 per year for model or < 100 per year for variant.

Sounds like someone like Lindsay fox  has had an input into this...cars for me, but not for thee.

Still doesn't say whether you can buy new and import from Japan though.

I think so mate, doesn't seem to be any age specified, just volumes. 

The Japan and UK thing got thrown out the window unfortunately, at least that is what I read in the first blog post about it. 

BREAKING NEWS: Changes to SEVS announced today. See attached. I will come back with a response soon. Short version: it's pretty bleak. 

Paul Fletcher MP
Federal Member for Bradfield
Minister for Urban Infrastructure
16/08/2017

For Immediate Release

New Road Vehicle Standards Act to Better Protect Consumers and Provide More Choice

The Turnbull Government will introduce the Road Vehicle Standards Bill into Parliament before the end of the year, with a view to it taking effect by 2019.

This follows a review of the existing Motor Vehicle Standards Act conducted from 2013 to 2015, the announcement of the changes proposed in response to the review in February 2016, and extensive industry consultation since that time.

The new Bill introduces reforms to modernise and strengthen the laws governing road vehicles when first supplied to the Australian market; clarify vehicle recall arrangements; accelerate harmonisation of vehicles with international standards; and provide more choice through streamlining and consolidating the regulatory pathways through which non-standard vehicles are imported.

The new Act will better protect the community when it comes to vehicle recalls, by mirroring the safety recalls provisions in the Australian Consumer Law. This means vehicle recalls provisions will apply to all road vehicles sold in Australia, whether private or commercial.

Following consultation with police agencies, the Government will move to require a secure vehicle identification marking on new vehicles. This requirement will provide a significant deterrent to motor vehicle theft and re-birthing.

After further detailed work on implementation arrangements, the Turnbull Government has decided not to proceed with one element of changes proposed earlier, which would have allowed personal importation of new motor vehicles from the United Kingdom 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.
It would also have been necessary to ensure that subsequent purchasers of a vehicle, which had been personally imported into Australia as a new vehicle, were aware of this fact - and the consequences of this, 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 per cent across the market – the Government has concluded that the benefits do not justify the cost and complexity of this particular change.

The reforms will provide increased consumer choice including by streamlining and improving the existing pathways for importing specialist and enthusiast vehicles.

This includes expanding the range of vehicles eligible for consideration as a specialist and enthusiast vehicle, with vehicles now to be required to meet only one of six eligibility criteria instead of meeting two out of four eligibility criteria as was previously required.
Over recent months, the Government has consulted extensively concerning these improved pathways. Following these consultations the Government has determined that the six eligibility criteria will be:

Performance – a new graduated threshold formula measured from 110 kilowatts per Tonne (kW/T) in 1992, increasing by 1 kW/T each year after.

Environmental Performance – an objective vehicle technology based on an alternate power source to internal combustion or a micro-car subcategory for low power (low emissions) vehicles.

Mobility - originally manufactured or fitted from the factory with substantive specialist mobility features to assist people with disabilities.

Rarity - total worldwide production of the vehicle ‘Make’ is less than 3000 units per year; or total worldwide production of the vehicle ‘Model’ is less than 1000 units per year; or total worldwide production of the vehicle ‘Variant’ is less than 100 vehicles per year. Left-hand drive vehicles imported under the rarity criterion will not require conversion to right-hand drive but will need state or territory agreement for use on their roads.

Left-hand drive - originally manufactured as a left-hand drive vehicle and not available as an originally manufactured right hand drive vehicle in another world market. These vehicles will require conversion to right hand drive for safety reasons.

Campervans and Motorhomes - originally manufactured as a campervan or motorhome.

[KGB]

Meh.  Just buy local, after all it keeps them in Crocodile shoes.

 

[Raven]

This means I can get a Singer just need that Lotto win ...........? 

[symsy]

Change …Hmmmm ….. Goodness….

[Pokiou]

left and drive.. left hand drive.. whats next, imperial measuring system? It cant be that hard for porsche to make a right hand drive car...

[3.2 BoxsterS]

Until the states get onboard nothing has changed! You can only drive a LHD in NT ( no restrictions) WA must be 15 years old and all others 30 years old. Would be great if the politicians would move into the 21st century, Europe allow it and nobody raises their hand and says it's unsafe ...I drive my LHD Boxster in NTwith no problems but plenty of looks and smiles!

[turboT]

On 22/01/2018 at 11:40 PM, 3.2 BoxsterS said:

Europe allow it and nobody raises their hand and says it's unsafe..

Most of Europe is LHD...

drive my 40 year LHD regularly. Not dangerous but turning/overtaking does have its challenges sometimes. Making LHD available to the wider public...probably not a great idea

[Coastr]

Lhd is already available to the wider public.  Even if every showroom had a lhd vehicle in it tomorrow very few would sell for those reasons.

the safety argument is nonsense as you can drive a lhd vehicle - it just has to be an older one.  The argument is patently nonsense.  If it was unsafe then no lhd cars would be allowed.  Plus lhd has been ok in the uk for ever and it doesn't cause a big deal.

Sensible changes should be to have a rolling 20-25 year rule for imports, a compliance inspection to get them registered and a matching lhd rule to allow them on the roads.   And to allow any person to import a new rhd car if that car passes euro or jap new car standards.  The warranty arguments are pure rubbish.