A single motor industry association

Media Release
15 December 2006

A single motor industry association

The amalgamation of two automotive industry trade associations was announced today.

For many years the interests of the importers and distributors of road transport products have been represented by two organisations – the Motor Industry Association (MIA) which represents the importers and distributors of new cars, light and heavy commercial vehicles, and the Motorcycle Distributors Association (MCDA) whose members comprise the authorised brand distributors of the majority of motorcycle brands sold in New Zealand.

These two organisations, who sell their products to registered motor vehicle traders, have now joined forces under the MIA.

Perry Kerr, Chief Executive of the MIA, welcomed the move saying that many of the issues being addressed by the two organisations were common and it made sense to have one organisation which encompassed all the authorised distributors of every category of vehicle using New Zealand roads.

Mr. Kerr said “There have been significant changes in the New Zealand vehicle fleet over the last twenty years with the demise of motor vehicle assembly following the opening up of the market to used vehicles from Japan.”

He went on to say that one of those historic shifts was a dramatic reduction in the number of motorcycles being registered for use on the road. “But in the last three years we have seen a significant shift back to motorcycle sales as the cost of fuel and commuter frustrations have increased. In fact the number of bikes registered has almost tripled in the last three years with sales continuing to climb. A clear indication of the role of motorcycling and the importance of our two organisations amalgamating is the inclusion of motorcycling in the Government’s recently announced Road Safety Policy Statement. Moving to a combined organisation is an important step forward to ensure that the voice of the motorcycling industry is heard and acted on.”

“The safety of the customers of our members has always been a priority for both organisations and under the combined organisation we will continue to work closely with Government agencies to ensure that we have world best practice in all areas of Government regulation whether it is in relation to product specification, the licensing system or any other area.” Mr Kerr said.

Issues relating to the environment were of increasing importance and the MIA has been working closely with government agencies on initiatives which addressed this area.

Motorcycling issues within the MIA would continue to be dealt with by Clive Hellyar who has represented the interests of the MCDA for a number of years prior to which he had wide experience in Government relations within the motor vehicle industry.

Ends

© Scoop Media