Mercedes-Benz Ballarat dealer principal Justin Mitchell has written to Ballarat federal MP Catherine King outlining his opposition to allowing consumers to import new and used cars directly into the country, bypassing the car company’s own distribution network.

The Productivity Commission last year, in its report on Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry, recommended the federal government should progressively relax the restrictions on the importation of second-hand passenger and light commercial vehicles. The senate hearing into the future of the automotive industry is under way.

Mr Mitchell said allowing personal imports would ultimately be bad news for consumers who would end up with cars not fit for Australian conditions and without any consumer protection.

His initiative has gained support from other retailers in Ballarat, with representatives from Toyota; Holden, Audi and Subaru; Ford; and BMW and Volkswagen dealerships all indicating their opposition to the proposal, primarily on safety grounds.

Ballarat Holden, Audi Centre Ballarat and Ballarat Subaru dealer principal Chris Alizzi acknowledged dealer opposition might be seen as self-serving but said the key issue was customer protection and safety, which would be undermined if the proposal went ahead.

“I don’t think consumers know what they are buying,” Mr Alizzi said. “They are potentially buying cars which are not ‘specced’ to the Australian market and they are not protected. 

“These cars are not ADR (Australian Design Rules) compliant. Australian governments have spent decades ramping up safety laws for cars and, under this arrangement, that will be void. 

“This issue is purely about safety and this proposal is not in the interests of public safety. The ADR regulations have been put in place to protect people.”

Eclipse Ford general sales manager Neil Doolan said the argument that the same car could be brought in at a cheaper price was incorrect because the car would not be the same. 

“We don’t want Australia to become a dumping ground for old and unwanted cars from other countries,” Mr Doolan said. “They wouldn’t allow us to dump our old cars into their markets. “These cars may have a Ford or a Mazda or a Toyota badge. What they won’t have is dealer network support if something goes wrong. 

“All modern cars have advanced software and they have different software and calibrations in different countries. If they are sold through dealer networks, they can have appropriate upgrades. These cars would be like computers which you could not upgrade. So these cars might be roadworthy when they arrive here but may not be roadworthy for long.” 

Ms King’s office could not be contacted by The Courier.