Australian Motor Industry Federation launch

A new lobby group has been established to ensure the automotive industry receives the proper care and attention from government.

The Australian Motor Industry Federation (AMIF) was officially launched earlier this week, stepping into the role vacated by the Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA).

Headed by CEO Richard Dudley, AMIF will liaise with the federal government on behalf of the industry, which turns over $160 billion a year and employs 310,000 people throughout Australia.

Among the subjects for discussion with government will be taxation, financial assistance, skills/training, competition and the environment, says David Purchase, Executive Director of the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) — one of the state associations behind AMIF. Purchase is a strong proponent of the new national body and explained to motoring.com.au that through the work of the organisation the motor industry's profile and relevance can be boosted to the levels it once enjoyed.

"We reached the stage some time ago that MTAA, as our national body, was not really doing all that we needed and wanted done on the national stage," Purchase explained.

According to the VACC boss it's "not unusual" for such bodies to "run out of steam" and the MTAA "took its eye off the ball". The industry's influence in government circles was on the wane and the MTAA was steadily losing credibility with politicians, regulators and senior bureaucrats.

The problem could be traced back to the management and organisation of the MTAA in recent times, Purchase indicated. On that point, the VACC head's remarks echo those made earlier by Richard Dudley during his presentation.

"AMIF is now a revitalised entity," said the AMIF CEO. "It will continue along the tradition of the original MTAA. The original MTAA did a wonderful job in its early years, but... our system of representation needed an overhaul..."

According to Purchase, the non-manufacturing industry's lack of profile within government circles was helping the manufacturing side (which relates to parts as well as cars), at the expense of the rest of the industry. So AMIF not only serves to nudge the government in the right direction, it should inevitably take some of the spotlight off the manufacturing side of the industry.

That would place AMIF in conflict with associations that represent manufacturing, one would think; associations such as the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the Federation of Auto Parts Manufacturers and the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association. It's a point that Purchase makes when asked to outline the priority challenges the new organisation faces.

"We want government, particularly the federal government, to recognise how significant and important the retail sector is and to take into account the retail sector's interests, as well as, and as much as the manufacturing side. And that will be a major challenge for our new organisation — to promote the retail side of the industry to governments so that they are more aware of its critical importance as a partnership in the whole industry."

So it's certainly Purchase's opinion that AMIF will provide the retail side of the industry a stronger voice within government, but he doesn't see AMIF going to war with the manufacturing associations. Quite the reverse, if anything.

"I can say with the utmost sincerity that these organisations have welcomed this move, because in their own way they've had their own difficulties with the MTAA. They welcome this new approach... and it's going to put the retail side of the industry on the map..."

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