“It’s a Mess”: Industry Urges NSW Premier to Intervene on Flawed EV Servicing Mandate
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) is urging NSW Premier Chris Minns to step in and halt a deeply flawed plan to mandate specific training for electric vehicle (EV) servicing — warning that the policy is based on poor analysis, is out of step with every other state, and risks serious consequences for EV owners and small businesses.
The AAAA understands that the Premier’s office is now taking an interest in the issue and says that now is the time to act — before the proposal does real harm.
Under the plan, every technician who performs work on an EV — no matter how routine — would be required to complete a rigid skill set (AURSS00064), even if their existing training already covers safe working practices. The model has been widely criticised for misunderstanding how modern workshops operate and how risk is managed by teams with task-based roles and clear internal training systems.
“This is not good policy — it’s a mess,” said AAAA CEO Stuart Charity. “No other state is doing this. The model is flawed, the consultation process has been poor, and the regulatory impact assessment is frankly embarrassing.”
The Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), released to support the proposal, fails to include any economic modelling — not a single estimate of the cost to train staff, nor any quantification of the cost to businesses. With EVs currently making up just 2% of workshop throughput, the cost burden is significant — but completely unaccounted for.
“The easiest path for many workshops will be to simply stop servicing EVs,” said Mr Charity.
“The RIS didn’t even attempt to quantify this training mandate as a business cost. There’s no modelling, no course availability analysis, no unintended consequences examined. How do you put forward a Regulatory Impact Statement with zero cost estimates and call it complete?”
The AAAA says the proposal is based on outdated assumptions — particularly the false belief that industry won’t train unless forced to do so.
“This is white-collar snobbery masquerading as regulation,” Mr Charity said. “It assumes that unless the government intervenes, our industry will operate unsafely. That’s simply not true. We train because we are professionals — safety is core to what we do, and to how we build trust with our customers and our teams.”
The industry is also alarmed by the so-called “transition period” being discussed by the Office of Fair Trading — a three-to-five-year window in which the regulations would apply but not be enforced.
“Let’s be clear — this is not a real transition,” said Mr Charity.
“It’s not written into the regulations. It’s just a non-enforcement promise that could be revoked at any time. That leaves workshops in an impossible position — either break the law and hope for the best or refuse EV work and let the backlog grow.”
The AAAA is calling on Premier Minns to intervene, request a full reassessment of the proposal, and ensure that any EV policy is evidence-based, nationally aligned, and developed in true consultation with industry.
“We know your office is now aware of this issue — and rightly concerned. There’s still time to stop this from becoming a political and operational disaster.”