The Motor Trades Association of Queensland (MTA Queensland) welcomes the state government’s response to the Review of Queensland’s Electrical Safety Act (2002) final report, opting not to proceed with the recommendation which proposed EVs’ electrical components should be serviced and repaired by appropriately licensed electrical workers rather than qualified automotive technicians.
In a response document, the Queensland Government determined the recommendation would not be implemented as proposed.
Instead, further consideration of how to maintain and improve electrical safety in the context of EVs will occur through a roundtable that will liaise with the Commonwealth and other Australian jurisdictions. The roundtable will be chaired by the Electrical Safety commissioner, with outcomes to be referred for national consideration later this year.
Following months-long advocacy efforts to dissuade the implementation of the recommendation, MTA Queensland considers the response a positive outcome for the automotive industry and looks forward to further consultation with both state and national bodies to determine the best path forward.
“When the review was first published in May 2023, we were astounded that neither MTA Queensland nor any other automotive association had been consulted in its development, despite the potentially catastrophic impact the recommendations would have on our industry,” says MTA Queensland chief executive Rod Camm.
“While there is still work to do, it is encouraging to see the Queensland Government take our concerns under advisement and reject the initial recommendation.”
MTA Queensland says it will continue to advocate for EV service and repair jobs to remain the responsibility of automotive technicians while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of workers as a top priority.
Click here for the full submission.
