Victoria considers increasing vehicle club permit eligibility from 25 to 30 years

Victoria's club permit scheme, which allows up to 90 days of driving for older vehicles, could be about to change vehicle age eligibility to 30 years and older.

The current rules allow 25+ year old cars to participate in the permit system, providing a far cheaper option for older vehicles not normally used for daily commuting.

The state's governing body VicRoads has asked for community consultation on the proposed changes, which it says will bring the scheme into line with similar programs run in other states and territories.

VicRoads is also seeking to change the definition of what constitutes a 'replica vehicle' – a loophole in the system which is known to have been taken advantage of since the current rules came into effect.

A spokesperson for the Victorian Department of Transport told Drive: "We’re seeking feedback on a range of regulations, including conditions for club car permits where we're proposing to increase the eligible vehicle age from 25 to 30 years to improve safety on our roads."

It's not clear how the proposed changes would improve road safety, with the department's own summary paper not listing safety as a reason for the proposed changes to eligibility. The document states the change is being considered in order to align the scheme with similar schemes found in other Australian jurisdictions.

Drive has been told proposed changes would not be retrospective, meaning if the changes were enacted, a 1995 Mazda MX-5 would be refused a club permit, for example, while another identical car may have already gained entry to the scheme prior to the changes being implemented.

The spokesperson went on to say the changes would also "[provide] a clear definition around requirements for replica cars to protect the integrity of the club car scheme".

Under Victorian legislation, the Department of Transport is automatically required to review regulations under the Road Safety Act 1986.

"Potential vehicle safety regulation changes are currently open for public comment and we want to hear from the broader community, government and industry to better understand the benefits and challenges of those changes."

Victorians can view the proposed changes on the Engage Victoria website by clicking here, with community submissions closing on 8 July 2021.