Auto sector success prompts Aussie government to expand Right To Repair

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) and Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) have welcomed a federal government discussion paper proposing to extend the nation’s Right to Repair framework to agricultural machinery and deliver targeted improvements to the existing scheme covering motor vehicles.

The paper was released by assistant minister for productivity, competition, charities and treasury Andrew Leigh, together with agriculture, fisheries and forestry minister Julie Collins and small business minister Anne Aly.

The government is pitching the package as a cost-of-living measure, saying expanded consumer choice will help put “downward pressure on the cost of maintaining vehicles and machinery”.

Submissions on the discussion paper close on July 3, with consultation details available through the federal Treasury.

It follows the February 6 release of the government’s review of the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme (MVIS) – the framework that since July 2022 has required vehicle manufacturers to supply independent repairers with service and repair information at a price no higher than fair market value.

According to the government, the review found the scheme had been broadly successful, supporting growth in independent repair workshops, greater consumer choice and a $2.4 billion expansion in annual sector turnover.

The review also highlighted the role of the Australian Automotive Service and Repair Authority (AASRA) in supporting the scheme’s day-to-day operation through guidance and practical assistance for repairers.

Alongside the design of an expanded scheme for agricultural machinery – including which types of machinery should be covered – the paper canvasses improved access to information held in electronic logbooks, formal recognition of intermediaries such as data aggregators and diagnostic tool manufacturers, and greater transparency around scheme pricing.

It also proposes a reduced regulatory burden around safety information, simpler access to security-related repair information and changes to scheme governance, reporting and enforcement arrangements.

“Whether it’s repairing a car or a tractor, Australian drivers and farmers deserve access to choice and competitive prices,” Dr Leigh said.

“The Albanese Government’s Right to Repair laws are about helping small businesses compete. Expanding these repair laws to agricultural machinery means farmers will have better access to local repair services, less downtime and less costs.”

“Our Government’s Right to Repair reforms will give farmers genuine choice about who repairs and services their machinery, while ensuring independent repairers have access to the information they need to compete fairly,” Ms Collins said.

“By extending Right to Repair laws to include agricultural machinery, these changes will help reduce downtime, lower repair costs and keep farm operations moving when it matters most.”

AAAA chief executive Stuart Charity said the paper was a significant and practical next step in strengthening competition, consumer choice and productivity across repair markets.

“This is a very welcome development. It shows the Government understands that Right to Repair is not an abstract policy debate – it is about keeping vehicles, machinery, businesses and communities moving,” Mr Charity said.

“For motorists, farmers and small businesses, timely and affordable access to repair is critical. Whether it is a family car, a delivery vehicle or a tractor during harvest, people need the freedom to choose where they get their vehicle or machinery repaired.”

Mr Charity said the detail of the paper was encouraging because it focused on the real-world barriers that determine whether independent repairers can genuinely compete.

“It is not enough for repair information to exist somewhere in theory. Independent repairers need timely, affordable and workable access through the tools, systems and workflows they actually use every day,” he said.

“That is why proposals dealing with electronic logbooks, intermediaries, scheme pricing, safety information and security information are so important. These are the issues that determine whether the scheme works on the workshop floor.

“Modern repair is increasingly shaped by access to data, software, diagnostic tools, electronic service histories and security-related information. If independent repairers are locked out of those systems, consumers lose choice and competition is weakened.”

The February review also kept telematics and connected-car data on the reform agenda, noting that as vehicles become more connected and software-driven, access to data increasingly determines what can be diagnosed and repaired, and at what cost.

“Connected-car data is already reshaping the repair landscape,” Mr Charity said at the time. “We welcome the government keeping telematics on the agenda and look forward to continued consultation on a clear, workable pathway that protects consumer choice and competition.”

The VACC, which represents more than 5000 automotive businesses employing more than 50,000 people across Victoria and Tasmania, said the paper represented a meaningful commitment to building a fairer and more competitive repair market for independent businesses.

VACC chief executive Peter Jones said: “VACC has been a consistent advocate for Right to Repair, and we are pleased to see the Government progressing this reform in a substantive and considered way.

“The motor vehicle scheme has already delivered real results – a $2.4 billion expansion in the repair sector’s annual turnover since it commenced is not a minor achievement. It demonstrates that when independent repairers are given fair access to the information they need, they compete, grow and deliver for consumers.”

Mr Jones said the proposed reforms around electronic logbooks and intermediaries were particularly significant for VACC members as vehicles become increasingly software-driven.

“The shift toward software-defined vehicles has fundamentally changed what it means to run an independent repair business,” he said.

“Access to a vehicle is no longer enough – repairers need access to the data, diagnostic systems and service histories that tell them what the vehicle actually needs. Without that access, independent operators are effectively locked out of an increasing share of the work coming through their doors.

“Independent repairers need to be able to access and update electronic service records on equal terms with dealer networks. They need data aggregators and tool manufacturers to have proper access to scheme information so that the tools on workshop floors actually work.”

Mr Jones also acknowledged Dr Leigh’s role in progressing the reforms, saying the minister had shown “genuine understanding of the competitive dynamics at play in repair markets and the real-world impact these reforms have on independent businesses”.

On the proposals covering safety and security information, Mr Jones said compliance burden should not fall disproportionately on repairers and small businesses.

“These proposals strike a reasonable balance between protecting critical systems and ensuring independent operators are not caught up in unnecessary red tape,” he said.

The VACC also flagged that it would use the consultation process to push for the framework’s future expansion to heavy vehicles and motorcycles – two categories currently outside the scheme’s scope but representing a significant portion of the vehicles serviced by its members and those of its Tasmanian counterpart, TACC.

“The discussion paper proposes giving the Scheme Adviser a formal role in recommending future vehicle class expansions, and we intend to make full use of that mechanism,” Mr Jones said.

“Heavy vehicle operators and motorcycle riders deserve the same protections and competitive repair market access as passenger vehicle owners. We will be making that case clearly in our submission.”

The government has pointed to Productivity Commission modelling estimating that extending Right to Repair to agriculture could lift annual gross domestic product by $97 million through increased grain output alone, due to reduced downtime during harvest.

Both organisations said they would engage with the consultation, with Mr Charity adding that the AAAA looked forward to “working closely with Treasury, government and industry stakeholders to ensure the next stage of Right to Repair reform is practical, effective and delivers real benefits for consumers, farmers, repairers and the broader economy”.