No Victorian COVID-19 fines for car buyers

By Ken Gratton, News Editor, carsales.com.au

Buyers of new and used cars from a dealership will not be fined by police under new Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown rules, the Victorian government has revealed in communication with the VACC (Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce).

After the VACC sought advice from the government on behalf of its constituent members, the Office of the Minister for Police (the Hon Lisa Neville MP) responded as follows:

VACC is correct in that the automotive trade is not being prohibited from work or opening, so staff can work, and customers engage as appropriate and consistent with the CHO requirements around density quotients and physical distancing.

 Accordingly, the Office of the Minister for Police has provided VACC’s correspondence to the Chief Commissioner’s office to ensure it informs the ongoing messaging to police members during this time.

 In addition, police officers are not meant to be stopping people from travelling for work or restricting trade of businesses that can and should remain open as long as they are maintaining density quotients and physical distancing.

The VACC says it based its argument on the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic), Section 20, Clause 6 (1) (Viii), ‘Leaving premises to obtain necessary goods and services’. The section states: a person can leave a premises to obtain goods and services provided by a retail facility that is not prohibited from operating by the Restricted Activity Directions.

This further confirms Melbourne and Mitchell Shire based consumers can have their vehicles serviced and take delivery of a new or used car at dealerships away from their home suburb.

The VACC has supplied this advice to its member to distribute to customers in the event they are asked by police to explain their reasons for travel.

The VACC advises car shoppers can request this documentation from the company with which they are dealing.