Progress on Choice of Repairer campaign

This initiative by Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Treasurer on Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs David Bradbury is a major step forward for the AAAA Choice of Repairer campaign, which aims to create a level playing field which enables consumers to choose between dealer-supplied parts and service, or independent aftermarket parts and service.
Launched in April 2009, the AAAA Choice of Repairer campaign is the independent aftermarket's response to the increasing difficulty that aftermarket service businesses face in obtaining from vehicle manufacturers and their authorised dealers the critical technical information required to repair and maintain today’s complex vehicles.
“This inquiry signals the federal government’s acknowledgement that withholding critical data required to work with the sophisticated technologies being built into the next generation of vehicles is a consumer rights issue,” said AAAA executive director Stuart Charity.
“The question has become: ‘Who owns the vehicle – the owner, or the manufacturer and dealer?’.
“Clearly, owners have the right to have their vehicles serviced and repaired with fit-for-the-purpose accessories, parts and systems by any qualified technician,” said Charity.
The inquiry ordered by David Bradbury will be conducted by the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC), an independent expert panel that provides the government with advice on competition and consumer policy issues.
The CCAAC will prepare and circulate an issues paper on access to vehicle data. Then it will call for stakeholder submissions before making a recommendation to government. David Bradbury expects the review and final recommendations to be completed by the end of this year. The CCAAC was responsible for the review into statutory warranties, which resulted in the introduction of the new Australian Consumer Law earlier this year.
“While this is only the start of the process from the government’s perspective, it is a necessary step prior to the government taking any action – regulatory, legislative, or otherwise – and is a positive step for vehicle owners and the automotive aftermarket that services over 65 per cent of the vehicles on Australian roads,” said Charity.