It’s not a joke

In OBA 101 we published a letter from Peter McColl concerning a government proposal to implement compulsory 17-digit number stamping of all Classic & Collectable vehicles imported from 1st July 2021.

That chilling thought prompted Neville Bowden from WA to contact www.infrastructure.gov.au for clarification. He received a response from The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (phew!) which he says “Left me with more questions than answers.” Part of that response is reproduced here, but it certainly confirms that the powers that be are intending to enforce this legislation. Neville urges everyone concerned – owners and would-be importers of classic vehicles – to contact the department and vice their concerns as soon as possible. Response from ROVERinfo@infrastructure.gov.au “To be granted a vehicle import approval, the applicant and the vehicle must meet the eligibility criteria for the particular Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) pathway. Without knowing the details of the specific vehicle you are interested in importing, we can only provide advice on the following assumptions:

If you intend to use the vehicle on a public road in Australia: You may meet the requirements of the concessional Register of Approved Vehicles

(RAV) entry approval pathway for an older vehicle. The requirements are the vehicle must meet a certain vehicle category (motor cycles are included) and the vehicle and any significant modifications must be at least 25 years old. An application for a concessional RAV entry approval will require the original VIN or chassis number when the application is submitted. If the VIN does not meet the 17 character requirements as per the current Australian and international standards then the department will allocate a new VIN or use the chassis number to generate an appropriate VIN. More information is available on our VIN webpage.

Under current RVS legislation there is a requirement that all vehicles must have a secure vehicle identification marking and affixed to the vehicle with either a tamper proof label or plate (depending on the vehicle category. Please see our overview of relevant RVS marking requirements. If granted an approval under this pathway it will be conditioned to ensure that any marking or registration requirements of the state or territory authority are also met. We suggest your concerns with adding additional marking, if required, of a valuable vintage vehicle is discussed with the state or territory registration authority.”

So there you have it. Voice your concern with the people in Canberra, or be prepared to take to your Vincent or Brough Superior with a set of number stamps and a suitable hammer. ■