The review is set to address ‘slow and cumbersome’ dispute resolution process

The Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry (MVIRI) has announced its Code of Conduct is set for review in New South Wales, with Dr Michael Schaper, the former Deputy Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, appointed to oversee the independent review.
The review will assess the slow and cumbersome nature of the dispute resolution process between body repair businesses and insurance companies, which often causes problems for customers who need their vehicles back quickly. 
The existing code does not cover the entire scope of the relationship between insurers and repair businesses, leaving the industry prone to disputes over issues such as rates, business models, and commercial arrangements.
The Code is mandatory under the Fair Trading Act in New South Wales and provides a framework that promotes transparency and informed relationships between insurers and repair businesses for the benefit of their respective consumers. 
It sets out guidelines which should facilitate the ethical and fair treatment of consumers, as well as for the resolution of disputes that may arise between insurers and repair businesses.
MTA New South Wales has applauded the MVIRI Code Administration Committee, comprising representatives from both the Motor Trades Association of Australia and the Insurance Council of Australia, for commissioning the review, which will examine:
• Effectiveness of dispute resolution processes under the code
• Awareness and accessibility of the code
• Compliance with the code
• Governance of the code and administration committee
• Other issues pertinent to the effective governance and operation of the code
“Consumers must be at the heart of the code and in its current form there are many limitations that lead to frustrations and disputes that don’t help anyone,” MTA NSW Chief Executive Officer, Stavros Yallouridis, said.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr Michael Schaper as the independent reviewer and look forward to collaborating with Dr Schaper as he conducts a thorough examination of the code’s effectiveness, awareness and accessibility, compliance, governance, and any other pertinent issues.”
Dr Schaper, a former Deputy Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the inaugural Small Business Commissioner for the ACT government, has conducted several major independent reviews for government and international bodies, and currently serves as the independent chair of another industry code committee outside the automotive sector.

For more from MTA NSW, visit www.mtansw.com.au