The House of Representatives has passed the Government’s Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) Bill, which is said to protect some FIRS operators from paying too much in registration charges.
According to the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), to become law, the FIRS Bill now needs to be passed by the Senate.
The ATA says if the Senate does not pass the Bill by the end of June 2010, more than a thousand FIRS operators whose registrations expire in July, August or September will pay an extra 9.7% in registration charges. This is on top of the phased in rise for large combinations, instead of the extra 4.2% agree by Australia’s transport ministers.
The ATA claims the owner of a FIRS registered B-double would have to pay $16,148 in registration charges instead of $15,340 – a difference of $808. The owner of a FIRS registered prime mover and semitrailer would be overcharged by $295.
FIRS operators with registrations due after September are said to be charged the correct amount.
According to the ATA, the problem with the July, August and September registrations is caused by a technical subsection of the Interstate Road Transport Charge Act, which would be amended by the Government Bill.
The ATA says it will now focus its lobbying efforts on the Senate. Its next two week sitting period begins on Tuesday 15 June 2010.