Automotive and mobility have been in the spotlight, overshadowing the administrative products that the Corporate Office is quietly progressing. The concept for these derives from listening to views and concerns at divisional meetings and feedback from members. The products are not international showroom stoppers, far from it. They do, however, have the potential to assist members with business practises and cashflow if adopted into their operations. And once again, these products underpin the value of the MTA Queensland membership.
The first is the GoPay service. In a nutshell, GoPay has two advantages. Firstly, it assists businesses who sign up for the GoPay service with cashflow and, secondly, it offers customers an interest free installment option for automotive bills incurred. Under the GoPay service, the automotive business will be paid for the total of the work within a short period at the start of the payment plan ensuring it with cashflow and the confidence to conduct their operations. Equally important is for customers incurring sudden, extensive or general automotive costs above a nominated amount.
They can be relieved of the immediate financial burden by having the total bill divided into an interest-free, fee-free, three-instalment payment plan. More details on the GoPay service is in this edition of Motor Trader. Please call us for more details on offering this product in your business.
The second product is ‘still a work in progress’. I’d hoped to have it advanced to the stage that I could share it with you in this Viewpoint. I can give a hint however, to the extent that it will help members with their cashflow.
Elections
No, this does refer to the current general Federal election underway. Under MTA Queensland rules, divisional and district representation elections must be held. I draw members’ attention to the Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC) notification on the MTA Queensland website located here. Nominations to fill divisional memberships and district representatives can be lodged with the AEC Returning Officer from 1 May 2019. The closing date for nominations is 12pm, 3 June 2019. There are five vacancies for each of the following divisions: Automotive Remarketing Division; Engine Re-Conditioners Association of Queensland; Service Station and Convenience Store Association of Queensland (SS&CSAQ); Rental Vehicle Industry Division; Auto Parts Recyclers Division; and one representative from the Central District and one form the Far North District.
This is an important election. The automotive sector is in a technologically driven transition phase; the most significant since beginning more than a century ago. It is incumbent on divisional members to be proactive and represent their respective trades so that advocacy on their behalf to government and agencies reflects their issues and concerns. Further, as an Association we must strive to improve gender balance on the divisional committees. I urge women in the automotive trades to nominate and have input into their trade.
Whilst thinking about nominations, Members’ attention is drawn to the opening of nominations for the MTA Queensland Awards, the details of which are here. The Award categories are: ‘community’, ‘innovation’ and the newly introduced ‘women in industry’. The winners will be announced at the Industry Awards Dinner on Saturday, 16 November 2019 at the Emporium Hotel, South Bank.
Advocacy
The Federal Department of Environment and Energy is consulting on the recently released ‘Liquid Fuel Security Review’ interim report to which we will respond. Australia’s approach to liquid fuel security is to apply minimal regulation or government intervention in pursuit of an efficient market that delivers fuel to Australians as cheaply as possible. The review considers the consequences of this approach.
The intention from the consultation is to provide advice on the benefits and risks of a market-driven approach. In particular, it will consider the risk of disruptions impacting on supply or the price of fuel in Australia.
Open for consultation is the Draft Queensland Transport Strategy. This provides the 30-year vision for the transformation of state’s transport system to ensure that it will have flexibility in responding to customer preferences, global trends and emerging technologies. I’ve invited our divisional committees to consider the strategy and provide viewpoints to supplement our submission due for lodgement on 24 May 2019.
Member Portal 2.0 coming soon
To ensure its versatility and friendliness, the member portal is being refreshed and we are still making refinements before our launch. This means when a member logs in, it will look different. The changes make it more user friendly and customer centric. It will be easier to navigate and incorporates tools for a member’s business to be easily located under the Find a Member section with the integration of google maps.
MTA Queensland’s shop has had a makeover too. In fact, there’s some substantial changes to the functionality of the shopping cart and general shopping experience. When used to purchase industry products there is an improved preview of the products in which the business may have interest. I’ve tested it and liked the changes, finding it easier to navigate and review products. I trust you will share the same experience, and of course your feedback is welcomed.
Survey
CORE SME is one of corporate partners. It is a vendor neutral business specialising in reducing operating costs, increasing profit and streamlining workflow. The Weekly Industry Bulletin (Issue 88: 25th April 2019) highlighted a business health-check survey. This is about testing a member’s interest/operations on a range of products/services that may have the potential to assist their business and have them delivered through corporate partner arrangements. It is a 60-second health check to determine where assistance could advantage the business. I urge members to participate in this business health-check.
Petrol shopper dockets
A long running issue for our SSCSAQ membership and significant advocacy issue for MTA Queensland was fuel shopper docket discounting by the major supermarkets. The discounts, according to an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) report, reached as high as 45 cents per litre for a nominated spend. The ACCC, in the interests of the consumer and to improve competition, undertook an investigation into the shopper dockets. In December 2013 it accepted voluntary court-enforceable undertakings from Coles Express and Woolworths to limit these discounts due to concerns about their long-term anti-competitive effect. The discount settled at four cents per litre discount following a spend of $30 or more.
Another chapter in the saga occurred recently with the ACCC advising that it accepted a variation to an undertaking provided by Coles in 2013 to its shopper docket fuel discount offers. This will allow Coles to fund shopper docket discounts from outside of Coles Express, as Coles Express will no longer operate as a fuel retailer. The variation follows Viva Energy’ and Coles’ recently restructured commercial arrangements in relation to Coles Express service stations. Consumers can continue to redeem Coles’ shopper docket discounts at Coles Express service stations, and petrol discount offers linked to supermarket purchases will remain limited to four cents per litre. The ACCC recently accepted a similar variation to the Woolworths undertaking following the sale of Woolworth’s service stations to EG Group.
Finally
A special event for women in all trades is the free Women on Tools Breakfast. We are hosting it in our MTA Institute workshop on 29 May from 7.00 am to 9.30 am. Register here. By the way, I’d be happy to speak with members attending the breakfast about nominating for a position on one of the divisional committees.
Until next month, take care and stay safe.