STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN, DAVID MORGAN

Despite the recent overall decline in theft numbers, Australia still has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the western world. Last year, one in every seventy Australian households on average fell victim to vehicle theft. The crime of vehicle theft costs the Australian community almost $1 billion a year - or $2.7 million a day - in higher insurance premiums and community disruption.

So why does Australia have such an unacceptably high rate of motor vehicle theft? While there is no single identifiable reason, the range of contributing factors include:

  • the high proportion of older vehicles on our roads that have little or no security features;

  • the ease with which whole vehicles and components have traditionally been absorbed by the black market;

  • gaps - albeit, ever decreasing ones - in our national exchange of information; and

  • some major misconceptions concerning the scale and nature of vehicle theft within the motoring population.

The NMVTRC is marshalling the resources of government, the insurance and motor vehicle industries, motoring organisations, police and registration authorities to deliver the necessary reforms that will lead to a sustainable reduction in Australia's vehicle theft rate.

However, there are no quick-fixes. Delivering sustainable reductions in vehicle theft requires long-term strategies that:

  • reduce the economic returns to professional thieves who trade in stolen vehicles; and
  • divert young people from stealing vehicles for thrills, transport, or to commit crimes.

To achieve this goal, the NMVTRC is seeking commitment from all stakeholder groups through promotion of the major social and economic benefits of preventing motor vehicle theft.

We trust that this website will enable you to keep up-to-date with how the NMVTRC is tackling this important task and provide you with the valuable information you need to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of vehicle theft.

 

 

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