News
Rann Government abolish vehicle registration labels |
Tuesday, 10 May 2010
The State Government's new vehicle registration renewal scheme, commences on 1 July 2011. The scheme was announced in last years' State Budget and was one of the government's many "savings initiatives".
Over the four year forward estimates, abolishing registration labels will save almost $6 million. (Many would question if such a small saving is worth the impost to drivers/vehicle owners).
Following the announcement in September 2010, our office received contact from many concerned people. I made numerous approaches to the Minister for Transport, the Hon Patrick Conlon, and received a response from the Minister for Government Enterprises, the Hon Gail Gago MLC. Attached is a copy of the response for your information.
You will note from the attached response that Minister Gago's answer to concerns about drivers checking whether a vehicle is registered before they drive the vehicle is quite aloof and she states ... "I am advised that a website and telephone hotline will be provided to make it as easy as possible for people who are in doubt over a vehicle's registration status to find out whether a vehicle, including a trailer, is registered".
Clearly the Minister and government have not taken into consideration the extra burden this will place on drivers.
A new provision in the Motor Vehicles Act 1959 will allow a defence to a charge of driving an unregistered vehicle for a driver who is not the vehicle owner if they can prove that they did not know, or could not reasonably have known, that the vehicle was unregistered.
This amendment allows a driver who is driving a vehicle which is not their own in the course of their employment to prove that they did not know a vehicle was unregistered or uninsured by providing a statutory declaration to the Commissioner of Police.
Under this new legislation, it will be an offence for a registered owner to allow an unregistered or uninsured vehicle to be driven on the road.
Each situation will be determined based on the particular circumstances applying at the time.
The current expiation fee for driving an unregistered vehicle is $258 and $517 for driving an uninsured vehicle.