Andrew Gee (Calare, National Party, Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the members opposite for their contributions, churlish and false though they were in parts. The Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 and related legislation provide a strengthened and modernised framework for the regulation of road vehicles in Australia which will maintain and improve vehicle safety, provide more choice for specialist and enthusiast vehicles and be responsive to emerging technologies. The substantive provisions of the road vehicle standards legislation are currently scheduled to commence on 10 September 2019; however, more time is needed to give stakeholders an opportunity to understand their obligations and to allow industry to maximise benefits available under the road vehicle standards legislation. More time is also needed to allow the government to continue to work with stakeholders to ensure readiness, to ensure the timing for commencement of the legislation is right and to make the transition as smooth as possible.

The Australian government is committed to improving road safety. This was demonstrated recently by the establishment of the Office of Road Safety, which will provide leadership and coordinate efforts across governments to address the terrible problem of people dying on our roads. That commitment is demonstrated again by this bill. The passage of the Road Vehicle Standards Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 will give the government, industry and other stakeholders the additional time needed to implement these important reforms effectively and achieve the objective of providing consumers with vehicles that meet safety and environmental expectations of the community. The amendment is opposed, and I commend the bill to the House.

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