New Emission Rules Can't Come Soon Enough -- MIA

Media Release

New emission rules can't come soon enough, according to MIA

The Motor Industry Association is urging the Government not to bow to pressure from the Motor Trade Association and the IMVDA to soften the proposed new emission rules for imported motor vehicles. From 2008 imported used petrol vehicles will have to comply with the 2000 Japanese market standard for emissions, from 2010 the 2005 standard will need to be met, and from 2013 the 2009 Japanese standards will apply.

"There has been plenty of warning that New Zealand would eventually have to do something about the deteriorating quality of its vehicle fleet," said Perry Kerr, CEO of the MIA, "and in our view the Government's schedule is an ideal compromise which moves us ahead and enables all parties to enter a manageable transition phase.

"The IMVDA has cried wolf before, particularly with regard to the 2002 frontal impact rule which they said would destroy their industry and didn't, and now they've joined forces with the MTA in opposing a fair and sensible schedule which is if anything, well overdue," said Mr. Kerr. "The used vehicle industry will survive this challenge, and it doesn't need continuing insulation from the environmental realities that are facing the rest of the world."

All developed countries are operating to a plan to reduce the emission levels of their vehicle fleets, but currently New Zealand, as a result of massive importation of increasingly old second hand cars over the last decade, now has the dirtiest vehicle fleet in the OECD. "We have to fix this, and it's simply not acceptable for the MTA and the IMVDA to be promoting a position whereby they can continue to flood the market with the sort of vehicles that the rest of the world is obliged to scrap," said Mr. Kerr.

ENDS

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