Briefs

PUSH TO BOOST AUTO TRADE
WITH ASIA
The Victorian government and the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) are combining resources to boost exports of automotive components, technology and services to Asia as well as attract new inbound investment.
Victorian Industry and Trade Minister, Martin Pakula said: “This agreement will see us pool resources with Austrade to create an even stronger impact in China, India, Thailand and Korea. New automotive specialists will be located in these countries to build relationships between indigenous and Australian automotive companies.”
The new network will be funded by the Australian Government’s New Car Plan for a Greener Future and the Victorian Automotive Manufacturing Action Plan.


BASF POSTS SIGNIFICANT GROWTH FOR PAINT BRANDS IN 2009
At a time when the economic downturn and fall in accident repair work volumes has impacted on all sides of the industry BASF is pleased to report that the company is bucking the trend and seeing significant growth for both the Glasurit and R-M paint brands.
Research conducted by the UK-based ABP Club showed that Glasurit was the third highest brand in the paint company league tables with a market share of 11 per cent. And whereas the tables show many big brands seeing static or downward growth in the last 12 months Glasurit has actually increased its market value by two per cent. R-M Automotive Refinish has also increased its market share from three per cent to four per cent during 2009 an increase in growth equating to around 30 per cent.


KELLY LEAVES ICA
Insurance Council of Australia executive director and chief executive officer Kerrie Kelly is leaving the organisation to take up a new role as director general of the Association of British Insurers.
ICA chairman Terry Towell announced the move, saying Kelly would be leaving the Australian organisation on 22 January, 2010.
She is a lawyer who has held senior executive positions in the private and public sectors with considerable experience working in the fields of banking and finance and transport.
She has led the Insurance Council of Australia since 2006.
Association of British Insurers chairman Archie Kane said Kelly is a proven and energetic leader whose success across the commercial legal and public sectors will ensure the ABI has a strong and powerful voice at its helm at a crucial time for the insurance industry.


NRSC TO PROVIDE NEW LEADERSHIP ON ROAD SAFETY
The Australian Automobile Association has welcomed the announcement of a new National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to provide leadership and advice on road safety issues.
The Australian Transport Council has appointed seven leading safety experts to the NRSC and four Road Safety Ambassadors, with an immediate task to provide advice to the Federal and State Governments on the development of a new 10-year National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS).
The current NRSS, which expires in 2010, is tracking well short of the targets set in 2000.
AAA Chief Executive, Mike Harris, said the NRSC would provide leadership and expert advice in the development of the NRSS and a long-term vision for road safety improvements.


MINI SIZE, MAXI REPAIR BILL
There is no denying the popularity of mini cars. Their savings on parking spaces and fuel bills attract punters but smash repair is a different story.
Small vehicles perform poorly in low-speed crash tests usually sustaining costly damage. The US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crashed micro cars into a barrier at just three to six miles per hour to test how their bumpers stood up to collision. The results were not encouraging.
“While the bumper doesn’t play a huge role in more severe crashes,” IIHS senior vice president Joe Nolan said, “in low speed collisions these vehicles sustain a lot of damage that’s unnecessary.”
Not one of the seven vehicles tested received a top rating of good, while five were rated as poor. Only one received a rating of acceptable.
“This is a very low-speed event. It’s sort of a fast walking speed and we’ve got cars with $3,700 of damage in a fast walking speed collision and that’s huge,” Nolan said.


ASSESSOR A STAND-OUT FOR READERS
Dear Sir,
As an auto parts recycler I have been in the automotive industry all of my working years (44) and in that time there is two stand out magazine articles that I always look forward to; one was “Mythical Motors” featured in the VACC magazine and the other is your “The Assessor”.
These articles, mythical or not, are so accurate in depicting the day to day activities or incidents that both cloud our days and enthuse us about the exciting automotive industry we are all a part of.
My son, who is now in the industry, gets as many laughs as I do from your articles-Keep it up!
Regards
Lawrie Beacham.
Jeeepart Recyclers,  Hervey Bay.
Queensland.