VICTORIAN Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) industry policy advisor and Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) official Michael McKenna has been appointed to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) as member of the consumer group’s Agriculture Consultative Committee.

Members of VACC’s Farm and Industrial Machinery Dealers Association (FIMDA) were last week advised that Mr McKenna had been appointed by the ACCC as the Farm and Industrial Machinery Dealers Association of Australia (FIMDAA) delegate on the ACCC’s Agriculture Consultative Committee (AgCC).

The appointment comes under the umbrella of the FIMDAA national sector group, which is the peak body representing farm and industrial machinery dealers in Australia.

FIMDAA is a national industry sector group under the banner of the Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA).

Michael McKenna

Mr McKenna’s appointment is the first occasion an organisation from automotive retail has been on the AgCC.  It is seen as a key moment in the reinvigoration of FIMDAA under the management of newly appointed MTAA CEO Matt Hobbs.

The AgCC was established by the ACCC to provide advice and information on issues identified as affecting the Australian agricultural sector under the Competition and Consumer Act. It is a forum where competition and consumer law concerns can be considered.

Under this guise, FIMDAA members can expect “movement” relating to issues such as access to repair information with regards to farm machinery: unfair contract terms, Australian consumer law issues and how they impacts FIMDA members and their customer base and unfair treatment of farm and industrial machinery dealers who act as franchisees or agents.

Members of the AgCC are drawn from a range of backgrounds and industries within the agriculture sector including peak bodies, industry associations, and industry advisors.

Amongst the themes FIMDAA can advise the ACCC are processes affecting the agriculture sector that fall within the scope of the Act, emerging issues or market developments of concern to the agriculture sector, information dissemination strategies and appropriate networks available to enhance communication with the agriculture sector and other issues as requested by the ACCC.

VACC members of the Farm and Industrial Machinery Dealers Association are encouraged to raise issues of national significance that affect the retail automotive agricultural sector with Mr McKenna.