The Australian Auto Aftermarket Expo will provide a comprehensive update to the industry on the important issue of Mandatory Data Sharing, gearing workshops up for the game-changing scheme that will go live this year.

In a defining moment for the aftermarket industry, The Motor Vehicle Servce and Repair Information Sharing Scheme passed into Law in 2021. This was the culmination of more than 12 years of work for the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) who championed the cause on behalf of the industry. Since then, the AAAA has been spearheading the work required to make the law operational by the 1^st July 2022 commencement date.

The Law has been designed to provide a fairer playing field for the repair and service of the automotive brands available in Australia in an industry worth $25 billion annually, compelling car manufacturers to share all mechanical repair and service information with the independent auto repair sector on “fair and reasonable commercial terms”.

AAAA CEO, Stuart Charity, recently provided an update on the progress of the law and the newly formed Australian Automotive Service and Repair Authority (AASRA) as part of a series of informative member webinars hosted by the AAAA. This webinar acted as an educational precursor to a special presentation which will be held as part of the AAAExpo’s comprehensive seminar program.

The “Fair and Open Competition in the Automotive Industry” seminar will be presented by the AAAA’s Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, Lesley Yates. Answering questions such as how is it going to work, does the new law increase competition and choice for consumers, and does it guarantee fair and open competition in our industry, the seminar is expected to be a ‘hot ticket’ at the show.

Expo attendees will not only have the chance to hear direct from Lesley on how the new law will operate and the benefits and challenges ahead, but walk-throughs of how independent repairers can utilise the secure data release model in real time are also planned.

“The timing of the Expo is perfect given it is being held only 11 weeks out from the launch of the mandatory data sharing scheme. The Expo will inform the industry of the latest updates and how they can use those 11 weeks to prepare, both in Lesley’s seminar and at the Workshop of the Future Pavilion,” said Stuart.  

“This scheme has been a complex and massive task – we are creating history here, as there is nothing like this scheme around the world. A lot of current work is around the onboarding of car companies to the AASRA platform, and already 35 car brands operating in Australia have expressed interest in joining the AASRA platform.

“We have finalised the scheme rules and we have launched the website and the secure data release platform, and those will be progressively updated as we get ready to go from 1^st July. It is a really exciting time,” said Stuart.  

The Fair and Open Competition in the Automotive Industry seminar is one of many free seminars across the three days of the Auto Aftermarket Expo focusing on the topics that matter to the automotive industry. To register for free to this seminar and view the full seminar program visit https://bit.ly/AutoExpo-SeminarSeries or for the Collision Repair Expo Seminar Series, visit https://bit.ly/CRE-SeminarSeries. Expo registration is free to all those in the trade, and simply by registering and attending the event, you will go in the draw to win a $3,000 Visa Gift Card.