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Purpose
The Type Approvals Consultation Group (TA Consultation Group) has been established as a collaborative forum to enable the department, in-service regulators and industry to:
- identify issues relevant to the administration of the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation with respect to the vehicle type approval pathway, including in relation to trailers and second stage of manufacture, and
- develop practical solutions to those issues to facilitate the smooth and effective implementation of the RVS legislation.
The TA Consultation Group is a:
- Communications channel between the department, industry and in-service regulators that supports, as appropriate, the co-design of solutions to issues facing the department, industry and in-service regulators
- Forum that supports the provision of targeted/issue specific industry advice to the department in relation to the development of policy positions
Principles
The TA Consultation Group will operate under the following principles:
- Open and transparent dialogue during and between meetings
- Remain issue and solution focused and contribute and listen constructively
- Externally communicate TA Consultation Group outcomes consistent with the intent of the group
- Documents that are distributed to the TA Consultation Group members for consultation are not for use in presentations or, unless otherwise stated, for wider circulation
- Matters pertaining to individual members will not be discussed
Membership
The TA Consultation Group is chaired by the General Manager, Vehicle Safety Standards Branch or their nominated representative. Secretariat functions are provided by the RVSA Implementation Group within the Vehicle Safety Standards Branch.
The TA Consultation Group membership will represent the following stakeholder groups:
- The department
Representatives from the department will need to have a sound understanding of policy relating to the road vehicle type approval pathway under the proposed RVS legislation. - Industry
The collective representatives from industry need to be able to, as a whole, adequately reflect the views and opinions of all entities involved in the provision of new road vehicles to the Australian market for the first time under a type approval. - In-service regulators
The representatives from in-service regulators need to be able to adequately reflect the views and opinions of their respective jurisdictions with respect to the provision of new road vehicles to the Australian market for the first time under a type approval.
Operating rules
Frequency of meetings
Every two (2) months, or as agreed by the members of the TA Consultation Group members, with the option to make decisions on papers offline.
Administration
- A member may send an appropriate proxy if they are unable to attend a meeting.
- Costs for attending the meetings will be borne by participants.
- An agenda and associated discussion papers will be circulated by the Secretariat at least one week prior to the relevant meeting.
- Draft minutes will be circulated by the Secretariat one week after the relevant meeting for acceptance. Once finalised, the minutes will be distributed.
Amendment to the Terms of Reference
The Terms of Reference may be amended, varied or modified in writing after consultation and agreement by TA Consultation Group members.