The Vehicle Repairers Association (VRA) has made a submission to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) outlining some of the issues that its members are dissatisfied with, in terms of the way environmental legislation is being implemented.

The Association has highlighted in particular five areas where it believes significant improvements have to be made:

1.    Lack of inspection and action on non-compliant repairers,
2.    Continued availability of non-compliant paints from mainstream suppliers,
3.    Industrial finishes availability and the fact that the industrial painting sectors are not subject to EPA regulation,  
4.    AIC inspection costs and the fact that there is now only one inspection option,  
5.    General lack of knowledge and awareness of local authorities on this issue,   
6.    Need for more publicity on the environmental legislation, aimed at the motoring public and supporting compliant repairers.

The Association says there is a very strong sense of feeling in the market place from compliant repairers, that having become compliant and paying a considerable amount to do so, they are being penalised, while unregistered operators continue to go unpunished. This gives unlicensed operators an unfair competitive advantage and is something that needs to be urgently addressed.