there may still be hope for the 15yr rule!!

[sidewayrice]

found this on prestige motorsport:

What can I do to stop this nonsense ? ~ 15 Year Rule Update -- 10th February 2005

Date Added 10/2/2005

So you've heard about the insane rule changes announced by the Minister on 7th Feb. You're struggling to make sense of the so-called 'transitional arrangements' that simply mean a mad rush for 3-weeks, and you are disgusted by the decision which goes against all commonsense and logic. Perhaps you are angry about it all but are not sure what can be done or who to complain to. Well it is nearly too late, but in politics it is never too late.

We need your help to send letters, faxes, e-mails, or to make phone calls.

If you ever want a GTO, or a Cosmo, a cheap R32 GTR, 300ZX, Series 6 RX-7, EVO, NSX, Mercedes, BMW or a multitude of other models that this change will BAN from our shores, then you need to act now. And I mean right NOW. Tonight. Tomorrow. If you put it off, or wait until next week, it will be too late. Would you rather be able to say you at least made an effort, or will you say you stood by and let it happen. Post a quick letter, send a fax, e-mail if you have to, but do something. Then tell your friends about the ridiculous changes and ask them to complain too.

Politics is a fickle business. Some of you may have heard of the trouble that The Hon Jim Lloyd found himself in today. Poor Jim had a bad day, read here about the rorting allegations:

http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/common/...3%5E953,00.html

With kind permission we have reproduced the following from the r34skyline website at: http://www.r34skyline.com/

What can I do to stop this nonsense?

There isn't much point talking to DOTARS, as they will quite happily tell you (off the record) that they are doing it to keep the major car importers happy. DOTARS knows (though doesn't officially admit) that these changes have nothing to do with anything actually mentioned in the press release or FAQ above.

You need to talk to their political masters, soon and loud.

The first one is the Minister for Local Government Territories and Roads, as he made the announcement - The Hon Jim Lloyd

His Parliament House contact details are -

The Hon J. E. Lloyd MP

Member for Robertson

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Ph: (02) 6277 7060

Fax: (02) 6273 7112

Email: [email protected]

Send a letter if you can (fairly quickly), if not then (in order of preference), FAX, ring, or email (politicians tend to ignore email more than they ignore everything else, but it is still better than nothing). He is already under substantial pressure (see this article) so it will be interesting to see his response if a few hundred people start to say how unhappy they are with what he is about to do!

And the same for our Minister for Transport and Regional Services, the Hon John Anderson -

The Hon J. D. Anderson MP

Member for Gwydir

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Ph: (02) 6277 7680

Fax: (02) 6273 4126

Email: [email protected]

The next one to complain to, if you are one of the many small businesses that are going collapse because of this proposal, is the Minister for Small Business and Tourism, the Hon Frances Bailey. Her contact details at parliament are -

The Hon F. E. Bailey MP

Member for McEwen

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Ph: (02) 6277 7450

Fax: (02) 6273 9394

[email protected]

_______________________________________________________________________________

To remove an e-mail address from this mailing list please follow the simple instructions provided on any mailing list update. To add an e-mail address please use the link on our website.

We only wish to send this information to those willing to receive it. We do not condone spamming or the sending of unwanted e-mail. Our apologies in advance if this e-mail is unwanted.

Regards

Geoff Risbey

Manager

Prestige Motorsport

0418 944 253

www.prestigemotorsport.com.au

At your service Mon to Fri from 9am to 5pm WST, and Sat from 9am to 3pm WST

DL14688

bob

No Pictures available for this item.

[sidewayrice]

more details:

What does 1988 and older really mean ? ~ 15 Year Rule Update -- 10th February 2005

Date Added 11/2/2005

Remember the good old days back in 2003 when we were looking forward to all the great new 1989 models we could get in 2004 ? Now at that time we had access to series 4 RX-7's, the old shape Soarers, Crowns, supercharged MR-2's, 88 model Safari's, Landcruisers, Cefiros, 180SX and Silvia's and a few BMW's, Mercedes and other bits and pieces. In fact, let's be honest, nothing really exciting ! Well, this is the same limited selection of old-looking models we will be faced with again come March 2005, that is if Jim Lloyd has his way. Just like going back in time.

Among others, in 3 weeks we will lose the ability to import cheap:

300ZX's

R32 GTR's and Gts-t's

GTO's

MR-2's

Series 5 RX-7's

Celsiors

MX-5's

BMW's

Mercedes

180SX's

Silvia's

NSX's

Laurels

Galants

60 and 80 series Landcruisers

Safaris

Cosmos

Familias

GTiR Pulsars

JZA70 Supra

Of course, don't expect to have the 1988's for too long either, what Jim is suggesting is that they will move this date back as far as 30 years and we will soon lose those too. This could happen almost immediately, or in 12 months, who knows. Whenever DOTARS feels like it.

As an aside, you may remember that 2003 was about the time that SEVS was introduced (to restrict import numbers which were getting intolerably high from the Govt's point of view). 17,000 vehicles per year springs to mind as being quoted by DOTARS (oh my god, what a lot of cars that is, um... how many new cars were sold last year in Australia, somewhere around 1 million wasn't it ?). Naturally, those businesses that could not afford the huge capital outlay required by SEVS had no choice but to move over to 15 year old vehicles. Now these poor people will be finished off for good by this proposed change. Remember that these are hard-working people who set up their businesses according to prevailing regulations. Many have spent their lives and a lot of money setting up legitimate businesses for the long term, with profits being rolled back into building the business. Their only crime was to choose an industry that has at it's core something that the Govt. would dearly love to stop altogether -- the import of secondhand cars to Australia. Make no mistake, in the last 4 years DOTARS has done everything in its power to unfairly discriminate against imports at the expense of many, who thought they'd get a fair go (this is Australia after all right ?).

SEVS is so unworkable that less than 200 workshops Aust. wide have successfully got through the DOTARS obstacle course, some only after 3 years of hard work and no income. Many times this number have given up along the way, some after spending a great deal of money trying. Compliance IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE for the FTO, S15, 300ZX, GTO (96+), just to name a few. The bulk of compliance available is for R33 Skylines and Delicas, with only a handful of workshops approved for Soarers, R34's, S13's and other models that used to be common imports under the old scheme. And other models like the Mazda Familia appear to be done for as compliance for them does not present a financially viable option under SEVS. Compliance prices have risen by about $2,000 across the board, repaired vehicles are not allowed (while repaired and rusty Commodores still abound on Aust. roads), and SEVS vehicles must be completely stock standard. Oh yes, SEVS has worked very well for DOTARS at achieving just what they wanted, a massive reduction over import numbers.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the 15 year rule. Now Mr. Lloyd and DOTARS have been more a little sneaky in the way this is being handled. In effect Jim has announced the changes as having already happened when in fact as we understand it, they still need to be formally passed and gazetted before they come into effect. This approach has thrown the entire import industry into premature confusion and panic based on one Minister effectively saying "This is what I'm doing in 3 weeks whether you like it or not!". DOTARS are also making up the 'transitional' arrangements on the fly which is why they are all so confusing. The so-called TRANSITION PERIOD consists of nothing more than a few weeks notice of changes that Jim is going to present in Canberra in the next few weeks and on which he is expecting the big rubber stamp without any fight. Now it would be nice (if not inconsistent) after all the negative changes the import industry has had to wear in the past, if some respect were shown to those businesses whose livelihoods depend on this rule. A proper and real transition period would be nice, where we are given some actual notice of the changes in advance, rather than a pretend one. Too much to ask I suppose.

To read more on how wrong, unfair and ill-advised this all is, please see r34skyline.com's comments on the Press Release and DOTARS FAQ, at the following links:

http://www.r34skyline.com/politics/SillyPr...e_Feb7_2005.htm

http://www.r34skyline.com/politics/Silly_D..._Dotars_FAQ.htm

If you are happy with what Jim is planning to do, then fine. Do nothing, sit back and relax, put a smile on your face and say bring on the rubber stamp. But if you are angry like I am, then bloody do something. You may just stop that rubber stamp coming down as easily as Jim thinks. Simply put, this is not fair. It is not fair to small business, and it is not fair to the consumer who is entitled to more choice and lower prices. And it is about as far as you can get from free trade, something the Govt. is supposed to be big on. After all, we've only just finished whacking the Americans over the head about taking our products haven't we ? There WAS something on the news about free trade for a couple of weeks wasn't there ? I'm sure I saw something....

If you've read this far then you really must be angry. So now we need your help to send letters, faxes, e-mails, or to make phone calls to the right people.

If you are one of the many small businesses that are going collapse because of this stupid and unfair proposal, complain loudly to the Minister for Small Business and Tourism, the Hon Frances Bailey. Her contact details at Parliament are -

The Hon F. E. Bailey MP

Member for McEwen

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Ph: (02) 6277 7450

Fax: (02) 6273 9394

[email protected]

You can complain to the Minister for Local Government Territories and Roads, as he made the announcement - The Hon Jim Lloyd

His Parliament House contact details are -

The Hon J. E. Lloyd MP

Member for Robertson

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Ph: (02) 6277 7060

Fax: (02) 6273 7112

Email: [email protected]

You should also complaint to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, the Hon John Anderson -

The Hon J. D. Anderson MP

Member for Gwydir

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Ph: (02) 6277 7680

Fax: (02) 6273 4126

Email: [email protected]

_______________________________________________________________________________

To remove an e-mail address from this mailing list please follow the simple instructions provided on any mailing list update. To add an e-mail address please use the link on our website.

We only wish to send this information to those willing to receive it. We do not condone spamming or the sending of unwanted e-mail. Our apologies in advance if this e-mail is unwanted.

Regards

Geoff Risbey

Manager

Prestige Motorsport

0418 944 253

www.prestigemotorsport.com.au

At your service Mon to Fri from 9am to 5pm WST, and Sat from 9am to 3pm WST

DL14688

bob

No Pictures available for this item.

[Guest]

How many users of this forum are disadvantaged as they are now un-able to import a-

MX-5 ?

Nissan Patrols?

Commercial vehicles?

Toyota Surfs?

Toyota Celsior?

BMW's?

Mercedes?

ect...ect

32 skylines will shortly be avaliable through a RAW as will Zeds!!!! 33,s have allways been avaliable and have never qualified as 15 year old imports.

The SEV,s list has also made vehicles avaliable, never imported here previously such as the V-35 and the Stagea with many new models to follow...

You all have the right to be "dark" with the way the decision was implemented, and i would agree with the conspiracy theorists as to who had what input. But I fail to see how the new "Regs" can STOP anybody importing a 1989-current Skyline..... After all is this not called SKYLINES AUSTRALIA........ The MX-5 club may be complaining!!!!!

..........