Repairers unhappy with the behaviour and performance of the MTA NSW have formed their own association to lobby for and drive significant change within the industry body.
The Australian Association of Progressive Repairers (AAPR) says it already has nearly 30 members and has fielded numerous enquiries from repairers upset and angry at what they claim has been the financial mismanagement of the MTA NSW, and its alleged misrepresentation of members at the recent NSW Parliamentary Inquiry.
AAPR is led by well know repairers such as Steve Popovic of Mt Druitt Autobody, Andy Hopkins of Gemini Group, John Spiteri of Rigoli Smash, Mark O’Shannessy of Smashcare and Gavin Stuart, owner of My Car Repairs.
AAPR has appointed a former Chairman of the NSW Parliamentary Staysafe Committee, Geoff Corrigan, as its chief executive officer. Corriga is also the former Mayor of Camden and was the area’s local MP. More recently Corrigan was a consultant to the MTA NSW. He left in June 2014.
In a letter to MTA NSW CEO Greg Patten, the group raised serious concerns about the submissions made by MTA NSW to the Inquiry, labelling them 'incomplete, inaccurate and misleading'.
AAPR cites other causes for major concern as the 'investment into, and abject failure of, eMTA, and the apparent mismanagement of members' funds resulting in more than $300,000 in financial losses in 2013.
Figures in the MTA NSW’s 2013 Financial Report shows the organisation which employs 54 staff, spent almost $1.5 million on travel, administration and marketing expenses for the financial year, more than $500,000 in consultancy fees, $500,000 on leasing motor vehicles, and recorded a financial loss for the year of $311,437. They point out that current management have been in key positions of responsibility for a considerable number of years during which during which repairer member dissatisfaction has grown.
MTA NSW's Patten responded: 'This group express dissatisfaction with eMTA an initiative that the MTA NSW has been developing and improving since the recommendation to abandon 'funny time, funny money' and replace that system with realistic times and rates. The Staysafe Inquiry, the Productivity Commission and more recently, the Select Committee on the Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Inquiry made this recommendation. More than 15 insurance companies accept realistic times.
'I would like to point out to your readers that this ‘current management’ has only been in place since the latter half of 2013 – much of the expenditure that the group refer to was committed and set by a budget developed in late 2012. This is the normal process for planned business activity.
MTA is the premium organisation in NSW representing members from all aspects of the industry in a democratic and open way. The Association has achieved a great deal, with a relatively small budget, it presents a very good value for money proposition for its members.'
AAPR group will be holding a meeting in Sydney on Wednesday October 1 at 7pm (details to be released shortly) for its members who want a change in key personnel at MTA NSW and are demanding fair representation for all repairer members on important industry issues.