A Message from the Hon Andrea Michaels MP

MINISTER FOR SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS MINISTER FOR CONSUMER AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS

It’s been great working with the Motor Trade Association since being appointed Minister and I certainly value the relationship we have established.

I’m very mindful of the challenges business owners face when trying to access support from government and looking for tools to assist them to further develop their skills and grow their businesses.

That’s why in August last year I established the Office for Small and Family Business (OSFB) within the State Government. The OSFB is a destination to access resources, programs and tailored assistance in one place, as well as provide a conduit to information and services across government.

At the OSFB launch, I also announced the development of a Small Business Strategy for South Australia. The Strategy will guide the Government’s policies and programs to support and empower small businesses over the next four years.

To develop the Small Business Strategy, we conducted one of the most extensive engagement programs ever undertaken by the State Government. Key insights were released late last year, while the Strategy is being developed for release in the first half of this year. Further information about the Office for Small and Family Business and the Small Business Strategy can be found at business.sa.gov.au

You may recall that new laws for motor vehicle insurers and repairers were passed by SA’s Parliament in December 2021. Since forming Government, regulations have been developed in consultation with the MTA and other key stakeholders, with the changes to commence in the next few months.

The new requirements aim to improve consumer protections by increasing awareness of relevant interests between insurers and repairers. In practical terms, this means that when starting or renewing an insurance policy, a policy holder must be advised whether they have a choice of repairer or not, and at the time of making a claim, they must be advised if the insurer has a financial and/or contractual relationship with the recommended repairer/s.

The Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct will also become mandatory in SA, which is aimed at assisting not only consumers but small business repairers too.

The MTA raised concerns with me about the potential for vehicles with hidden damage, such as flood damage, to be offered to unsuspecting consumers via private sale. Accordingly, we have developed a joint education campaign to raise consumer awareness when buying a used car, highlighting important consumer protections when buying from a licensed dealer. More information about the campaign, including links to the two videos, is available at cbs.sa.gov.au/cars

I wish Paul Unerkov well with his retirement and I look forward to continuing our great relationship with the MTA through new CEO, Darrell Jacobs.

I also wish all of you, your families and your teams all the very best for a happy, safe and successful new year!