Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Government’s timetable changes phase industry

23 April 2013

Government’s timetable changes phase industry

Government’s announcement today that changes to WoF frequency could be phased in earlier than originally signalled is misleading. Though giving the appearance of assisting industry, the proposed changes actually mean a significant reduction in both business activity for industry and vehicle safety levels, says the Motor Trade Association (MTA).

NZ Transport Agency’s (NZTA) draft rules released today propose phasing in 12 month WoFs for some vehicles from October 2013. At the time the initial changes were announced in late February, the introduction date was set for ‘1 July 2014 or possibly earlier’. To find that changes are to start around nine months earlier comes as a shock to industry; the most helpful thing that could be done is to stick with the original target date of July 2014, MTA spokesperson Ian Stronach says.

“Government says it is offering these changes to help smooth out the sudden reduction in business that will result from the new WoF frequency regime. Far from providing any real workable assistance to industry, these changes essentially just bring forward the date of introduction and with it the loss of work for the industry. It won’t help industry, but it will allow government to showcase an apparent cost-saving to the electorate before next year’s election,” Stronach says.

Widespread confusion and mixed messages
Feedback from both industry participants and members of the public indicates that many people are already confused about what the changes involve. When introduced earlier this year, changes to the WoF regime were regularly misreported, leading many to think they applied to all vehicles 13 years and younger. Many industry participants and consumers alike have not understood that the changes will apply to vehicles around a date that is fixed in time: all cars first registered after 1 January 2000 will only need a 12 monthly WoF. Bringing forward the introduction of 12 month WoF’s for 2004 to 2008 vehicles to October 2013, then in April 2014 introducing the same regime for 2000 to 2003 vehicles is likely to lead to more confusion.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Enforce existing consumer regulation
While government has long claimed that the changes were designed to benefit consumers, existing regulation around WoF could achieve this – if it was properly enforced. The 2002 Land Transport Rule relating to Vehicle Standards (Clause 9.12) provides that unless the buyer agrees in writing to take the vehicle without a new WoF (the ‘as is, where is’ provision), any vehicle sold, by a dealer or private seller, must have a WoF less than one month old on it. MTA questions why government is creating new regulation while not enforcing existing regulation that would provide for greater consumer protection.

At a time when government’s own Safer Journey’s programme has identified the need for safer vehicles, the changes to WoF frequency are at odds with its overall vision for a safer system. New Zealand currently has an inspection system that identifies the majority of faults in vehicles before they become a factor in vehicle accidents; it remains hard to see why they would want to change that environment, Stronach says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.