Thread: A little help required please!

At a basic level Australia is a country of 6 independent countries joined in an agreed federation and each have their own rules and regulations and most likely require their own permits etc.

Did they book you for also being unlicensed?

Originally Posted by garrycol

Did they book you for also being unlicensed?

They can't, or I should say shouldn't, as long as his UK licence is current as he has visiting driver privileges.

1st December 1999 the Motor Traffic Act, 1909 was repealed and replaced by the Australian Road Rules which was adopted by all States of Australia, however, each State did made their own amendments. The ARR cover road use rules so to speak, other Regulations exist such as the Motor Vehicle Regulation Act, Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Act for example, deal with other specifics.

Originally Posted by Cracka

They can't, or I should say shouldn't, as long as his UK licence is current as he has visiting driver privileges.

Exactly and if he is driving a properly registered vehicle from the country of origin with the appropriate insurances as he has, then he is also legal.

Right,

When you bring the car in, you have to clear through customs & AQIS but once through there you need to get the car registered. You don't need to fix Oz plates to your car but instead you get issued with a bit of paper, which is your proof of registration and your 3rd party insurance cover. Once you have that, it'll cover you for any Oz state.

So, it sounds like there might be a couple of things going on here:

1 - You didn't do that last bit of the registration process (get yourself off to a VIC Roads office if you haven't).
2 - Technology - You're just confusing the hell out of the ANPR system, the coppers don't know what to do and just slap you with a fine!!

Personally, if you're registered and it's just an issue with tech, I'd just ignore it all & stick the fines in your scrap-book. As a traveller, you don't really have an address they can track you back to!!

M

Exactly right Garrycol, thats why I'm just trying to see if he had his plate and label displayed, if he didn't, that would be sufficient grounds for the unreg infringement . It would be interesting to see who told him to buy the CTP as it is clearly written in that RMS guideline that he is exempt from it!

It sounds as though he has been given the stuff around from the start.

Fourwheel, is your vehicle currently registered in England?

I have posted my replies assuming you were as I did not think you would be issued the carnet without current registration.

Julian Seal (GFour on here) is also driving round Oz in his UK registered D3 and as far as I'm aware, hasn't had any issues. When he arrived here in Melbourne, we discussed the insurance issue and after some ringing around I'm pretty certain he arranged both insurance & full breakdown cover with RACV for not a lot of $$$'s. Same as you, he has the carnet and is planning to be in Oz for almost a year. May be worth you calling RACV for a chat.

Originally Posted by Cracka

is your vehicle currently registered in England?

Yes it is but the meaning of registration is slightly different in the UK to Australia.
In the UK a registration NEVER expires, instead the person named in the registration document is liable for paying the road tax each year and getting the vehicle through an eligibility test. Once those two things have been done the vehicle can legally be driven on the road. I got my car tested the day I left so my 'registration' in Australian terms runs out in July, however I can't get it re-tested because the vehicle is here :S, so for now I can drive it around under an English registration, and CTP.

Originally Posted by camel_landy

Right,

When you bring the car in, you have to clear through customs & AQIS but once through there you need to get the car registered. You don't need to fix Oz plates to your car but instead you get issued with a bit of paper, which is your proof of registration and your 3rd party insurance cover. Once you have that, it'll cover you for any Oz state.

So, it sounds like there might be a couple of things going on here:

1 - You didn't do that last bit of the registration process (get yourself off to a VIC Roads office if you haven't).
2 - Technology - You're just confusing the hell out of the ANPR system, the coppers don't know what to do and just slap you with a fine!!

Personally, if you're registered and it's just an issue with tech, I'd just ignore it all & stick the fines in your scrap-book. As a traveller, you don't really have an address they can track you back to!!

M

Thanks for the help, to get the car registered I guess I have to get it tested to make sure it is roadworthy, or do I just have to have my valid MOT certificate and my V5 and the Carnet de Passage?

Do I need insurance before I get it registered or the other way around?

Ok so currently you ARE registered in our terms, as far as New South Wales laws are concerned. Unless things have drastically changed in Victoria you should not have been given an infringement notice for being unregistered unless you were NOT displaying your registration plates and your MOT disc.

If you are going to be here after July then yes it will need to be registered, but as to the process it will differ depending on which State you are in when you get it registered. If you are still going to be in Victoria go and visit a VicRoads office. If in NSW refer to the RMS link I posted earlier and check the other tabs on the left side of the page.

It will need to be inspected for roadworthiness in any case as you are changing the registration.