According to the AAAA, the proposal, outlined in a draft Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), imposes sweeping restrictions on the automotive repair industry with no accompanying economic assessment, no data on how many BEVs are on NSW roads, no analysis of the real-world impacts on workshops or consumers and no workable transition plan.

The association said the RIS also fails to outline how many technicians hold the required skill set, with industry estimates suggesting there are fewer than 50 qualified technicians across NSW, despite there being more than 80,000 BEVs in operation.

Stuart Charity, Chief Executive Officer of the AAAA, said the lack of basic facts and planning raises serious concerns about process and policy.

“The RIS does not estimate how many vehicles may be left without service providers, does not assess the cost of up-skilling, and does not confirm how many training organisations are equipped to deliver the training. There is no system for recognising prior learning, no support to up-skill existing qualified technicians and no phase-in period. This is regulation without a plan,” he said.

“We agree that technicians working on high-voltage vehicles must be trained and competent and that’s already happening. But this proposal creates a legislative barrier that will drastically reduce the number of qualified service providers overnight. It will drive up costs for consumers and cause serious delays in repair and servicing.”

The AAAA warns that without a proper transition plan, the supply of qualified technicians will collapse from 2 September 2025 and with it, the ability of thousands of NSW motorists to access timely and affordable EV servicing.

“The RIS claims universal stakeholder support for the proposal, but the AAAA did not support the proposed changes and is surprised to see them framed as broadly endorsed.

“If a technician can safely service a Toyota hybrid, why are they banned from touching a BEV? The logic simply doesn’t hold. Hybrid vehicles include high-voltage components but are exempt under this proposal, yet BEVs are not. The only explanation is that the department didn’t consider the real-world impact. It is ironic that a department tasked with ‘better regulation’ is rushing through changes that are so poorly thought out,” said Charity.

To prevent service disruption and protect consumers from unintended costs and delays, the AAAA is calling for a five-year transition period. This would give government and industry time to work together on flexible up-skilling options, establish a proper recognition-of-prior-learning system, and ensure the training infrastructure is ready to meet demand.

“This is not just a workforce issue, it’s a consumer issue,” said Charity. “This rushed approach will reduce access to essential repair services and increase costs for NSW motorists.”

The AAAA is urging Anoulack Chanthivong, Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, to review the proposal and instruct the department to engage with industry on a practical, evidence-based transition plan.

“We don’t believe the minister has been fully briefed on the consequences of these regulations. We urge him to issue a formal statement on the transition period and work with us to get this right for the sake of workshops, consumers and the future of EV adoption in NSW,” said Charity.