Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) has welcomed an announcement by the federal government that it will introduce the Road Vehicle Standards Bill into parliament before the end of the year.
The announcement came after a four-year review and consultative process regarding the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989. The bill will provide for better consumer outcomes and greater certainty within the Australian caravan and camping industry, with more appropriate regulatory enforcement measures to be introduced, according to CIAA chief executive officer Stuart Lamont.
He said the new legislation would “lead to better identification for caravans and a consistent approach to locally manufactured and imported products”.
“Importantly, it will also see improved enforcement provisions surrounding what is already one of the toughest compliance standards globally within the industry, providing greater confidence and certainty for manufacturers and importers seeking to supply product into a highly competitive market,” he said.
“We are encouraged that Australian consumers will be better protected through the strengthening of the laws governing trailers in the Australian market in the Act and thank the Coalition for their support for the caravanning industry more generally.
“The increasing demand for the caravanning and camping lifestyle in Australia, whose total value to the Australian economy annually is an estimated $19.02 billion, is built around consumer confidence in the product and having the highest safety standards.
“We therefore congratulate the minister for urban infrastructure, Paul Fletcher MP, and his cabinet colleagues, including the minister for infrastructure and transport, on their successful working through of complex measures through extensive consultation to ensure the Road Vehicle Standards Act could be legislated.
“The Australian caravanning industry has an exceptional story to tell. Caravanning and camping is a dynamic and growing industry, which provides positive impacts through regional dispersal, job creation, and social connectivity.”
Mr Lamont said that the number of caravans and campervans on Australia’s roads had been steadily increasing over the last six years, and are at some of their highest production levels in over 37 years. Combined registrations of caravans and campervans peaked at a record high of 615,301 for the year ending January 2016, 70 per cent of which were manufactured in Australia.
