RVSA guidance material consultation

The department will be undertaking detailed consultation with stakeholders on a range of guidance material that will be developed to support the implementation of the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation.

Further information, including guidance material, will be posted on this website as they become available.

On this page:

Consultation on Recalls Policy: Road Vehicles and Approved Road Vehicle Components

The Australian Government wants to hear from interested parties on the department's Road Vehicles and Approved Road Vehicle Components Recalls Policy (Recalls Policy).

The Recalls Policy is being developed by the department to provide guidance, in accordance with the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, and the Road Vehicle Standards Rules 2019 (the RVS Legislation), to assist suppliers and consumers understand the process for recalls of a road vehicle or approved road vehicle component.

Stakeholders are being invited to provide feedback to assist the department in finalising the policy. If you would like to have your say regarding the Recalls Policy, please contact the department at the email address listed below by 30 April 2021.

Draft determinations under the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) Rules 2019

Interested parties are invited to provide feedback on the following draft RVS Determinations and Explanatory Statements.

Please note these materials are still being developed. The department will make further revisions following the public consultation period.

A brief summary of each draft Determination and Explanatory Statement is below, for your review/feedback:

  1. The Road Vehicle Standards (Information on the Register of Approved Vehicles) Determination 2020 (to be made under section 12 of the Rules)—sets out the information that must be included on the Register of Approved Vehicles (RAV) in relation to a vehicle. It also sets out the information on the RAV that may be made publicly accessible under section 10 of the Rules.
  2. The Road Vehicle Standards (Model Reports) Determination 2020 (to be made under section 88 of the Rules)—sets out the required form and the content to be included in a Model Report (a holder of a road vehicle type approval or registered automotive workshop approval manufactures or modifies a road vehicle in accordance with a Model Report).
  3. The Road Vehicle Standards (Model Reports—Compliance with Standards) Determination 2020 (to be made under section 89 of the Rules)—sets out the safety standards that apply in specified circumstances when vehicles are manufactured or modified in accordance with a Model Report.
  4. The Road Vehicle Standards (Verification of Road Vehicles) Determination 2020 (to be made under section 106 of the Rules)—sets out the requirements that apply where the holder of an authorised vehicle verifier approval is verifying a road vehicle that has been manufactured or modified by the holder of a registered automotive workshop approval, in accordance with an approved Model Report.
  5. The Road Vehicle Standards (Limit of Acceptable Damage or Corrosion) Determination 2020 (to be made under section 107 of the Rules)—sets out the limits of damage or corrosion that road vehicles verified by authorised vehicle verifiers are permitted to have.
  6. The Road Vehicle Standards (Additional Matters Relating to Eligibility for a Road Vehicle to be Entered on the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Register) Determination 2020 (to be made under section 136 of the Rules)—sets out the criteria for a road vehicle to be entered on the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicles Register.

Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB 1)

The department is reviewing Vehicle Standards Bulletin 1 (VSB 1)—Building Small Trailers to ensure it aligns with new arrangements in the RVS legislation.

VSB 1 is intended to assist manufacturers of small trailers to understand the Australian Design Rule (ADR) requirements applying to the most common types of small trailer.

Additional requirements applying to more specialised small trailers and other options may be set out in the ADRs themselves. Manufacturers or importers of trailers that do not comply with VSB 1 need to consider if their trailer should be modified to comply or if alternative arrangements exist within the ADRs.

This bulletin does not cover the administrative arrangements related to obtaining approvals under the RVS legislation or for registration in a state or territory of an individually constructed trailer.

For further information about RVS legislation approval requirements, please visit the Road Vehicle Standards legislation implementation page.

The first round of feedback on VSB 1 has closed. The department is currently updating the draft based on feedback received.

A VSB 1 Focus Group meeting was held on 14 March 2019 in Melbourne. Approximately 50 industry and regulatory stakeholders were invited to attend, with 25 of these attending the meeting. Documents related to this meeting, including minutes of the meeting, are available below:

Presentations

During the course of the RVSA consultation program, the department has given a number of presentations to stakeholders. These presentations are being made available on this website to facilitate a broader understanding of specific aspects of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation.

Slide 33 of this presentation sets out when the Road Vehicle Standards legislation starts. Please note that the Government has passed legislation that delays the commencement of the Road Vehicle Standards legislation—for further details, see www.infrastructure.gov.au/vehicles. In addition, slide 33 of this presentation notes that during the transitional period all imported trailers must comply with the RVS legislation and that VSB1 version 5 will operate for domestic manufacturers. Transitional arrangements will be put in place that will ensure consistent treatment of domestic and imported light trailers during the 12 month transitional period. Please also note that slide 3 refers to the two different kinds of approvals that may be granted in relation to a light trailer. A person who holds a type approval or concessional RAV entry approval in relation to a light trailer is permitted to import the light trailer.