At the only national forum dedicated to light vehicle modification, there was a lot to talk about on June 20

Moderated by the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) as a part of its Autocare conference in Brisbane, the 2025 Modification Summit brought together industry and regulators to discuss and collaborate on the future of the aftermarket industry.
The unique, highly interactive one-day Summit format brought together industry leaders, business owners, product developers, entrepreneurs and crucially, regulators, as they sought to set the wheels in motion to create a national harmonisation (across all states and territories) of modification regulations for light vehicles.
To this end, the participants discussed national harmonisation of vehicle standards (the national review of VSB 14); state by state in-service vehicle modification inconsistencies and also the application of modification regulations (GCM/GVM upgrade); second stage manufacturing and the ROVER approval process; EV modifications and future technology standards; and the impacts of modifications on ADAS calibration.
The new low emissions trading scheme (NVES) and how it has affected the modification industry; the inter-relationship between modification and certification, and how we work together for sound and fit for purpose evidence; future advocacy efforts and how we can improve our response times to threats and opportunities; and the future of research, development and testing were also all deliberated upon.
“This is not an easy task,” AAAA Chairman Wayne Bryant said as he opened the proceedings.
“In fact, it takes a whole collective effort to come together and collaborate and work together on the really important matters. And the work that you all do sits outside or ahead of existing regulations.
“Because that’s what we do best as an industry: you design, you engineer, and you innovate; you develop solutions that improve vehicle performance, safety and usability; and you make vehicles fit for purpose… Because of this, our industry often moves faster than the rulebook, and that’s a real paradox…and it also means that you’re operating in a space where the regulatory path is often unclear.
“That’s a real challenge and we all understand that challenge, but it is one that we are committed to, to work with you and help you navigate through that space. We’ve got to work together and we’ve got to collaborate and we’ve got to continue to work hard on solving the problems, partnering together and speaking up together.”
Key players were involved in the Summit from industry and government, with the opening session headed by Aaron de Rozario (National Transport Commission), Anita Langford (Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts) and Anna Flower (Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads).
Aaron spoke of the Commissions’ intention to review VSB14 and ultimately create a document that standardises modification regulations for light vehicles across one set of national standards where possible and to clearly highlight any differences so that they were transparent for all to see.
“We’d like to have an industry group and we’d like to have a joint group so that there is a sharing of thoughts, views, opinions; and of course as we go through updating of VSB14, we might tailor the membership particularly at an industry perspective so that people are focusing on the areas that they’re most interested in and there’s a right level of engagement there,” Aaron said.
The Modification Summit was deemed to be a success, with an overall commitment to co-operation despite the competing interests within the room, and the discussions that were initiated will continue as the industry does its best to work together for the greater cause of developing regulations that serve all parties, including public safety and the ongoing viability of the industry.