The "Concesssion for Classics" Scheme (C4C), its rigid unfairness and a solution

 From the Government's own website, the breif explainer...

 "The Concession for Classics (C4C) scheme is a voluntary concession which is available to owners of eligible street rods and vehicles manufactured prior to 1990. The scheme commenced on 16 April 2021."

Further details at (Click there->) Concessions (transport.wa.gov.au)

Now it seems great, its been in the making for a number of years and seems like at least 3 parties were pushing for this as far back as 2015-2016 with at least one group pushing for a nin club based framework. All entities however seem to have gotten nowhere tangible until recently it was taken on board by the current Labor Government's Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti MLA embraced it.

Originally it was roughly going to be 90 days for $90 with all days quarantined within club use. This didn't take into account that many people who own classics use them for private ocassions like School Balls, Weddings, birthday outings or just going for a cruise with their family and/or catching up with friends...outside of a club. The minister in her wisdom accepted this was indeed a problem and it was moved to 90 days use, 60 within a club & 30 private use. Now that is a good concession, it will work for the majority of people except it still isn't quite a perfect framework. Perhaps we should all agree there is no chance of a perfect framework but to say this system is as good as it can get is incorrect.

I note if you discuss this online or in person about those living in regional or remote WA, or those who would prefer 90 days private use whether you're in a club or not the answers go off track 
They include but are not limited to...

1. Its voluntary, if you don't like it keep your vehicle fully licenced & pay the full amount
   
   
2. A lot of work has gone into this, your comments will wreck it for everyone
   
   
3. You want it your way & if not scrap it.
   
   
4. It has to be done via clubs for the social aspect & help with the management aspect

Of course these are shut down techniques, hollow tactical replies not answers, not helpful and not inclined to help bring in a more fair, more balanced and improved system.

They don't address these problems or answer the curious omitted details. They include...

a) What management aspect is involved with the club for those 30 Private Days?
If there is none then why does 30 days work fine without Club Oversight & Management but 90 cannot? 

b) Today with Licence Plate recognition & C4C users having to have a Rego Plate Identifier it is easy for WA Police to see if the car is out on a club run or has registered it online as a private use day. That can be done for 30 days or 90 days private use, club managed or club free

c) Because a lot of work has gone into it does not mean it is the best it can be. It must be reviewed after 12 months and improved. At present only approved clubs can be involved, you must be a member of an improved club and those clubs MUST have 30 or more members when to be incorporated you only require 10 or more. In REGIONAL AND REMOTE WA you will be hard pressed to get 30+ like minded people to form a club, let alone one that can "manage" a system that doesn't need club management for 30 days. If you live in Wagin, Hyden, Nungarin, Fitzroy, Coral Bay, Ravenswood, Jerramungup, Walpole to name but a few you will have to join a club hundreds of kilometres away. Which means in the case of one couple we know, they're a member of a club 450+kms from their home. They will have to drive 900+kms round trip for each of their club days. Unfair, unworkable and easy to solve. 90 days Private Use, No Club Required.

With Log books and/or App use with the concession this car usuage can easily happen without a club & allow people to drive 90 days for $90 anytime THEY want whether they're in a club or not, whether its a club event or not. Their car, their life, their choice.

Its worth repeating, no one is overseeing the 30 days private use. No one. Is a car on the scheme still within their 30 days, have they driven it 200 days in the year & not filled out their logbook/app?

WHO IS OVERSEEING THIS, ENSURING THERE IS NO ABUSE? WHO? HOW?

If it's the club, how do they know member 23 is driving in their vehicle outside the rules and who reports them to who so they're penalised? 
If they crash whilst outside the rules it's likely insurance will be void but some will take that risk whether a club is involved or not, and it can happen whether its "club managed" or not.

Then the other biggy...what if the person has 3 cars on the C4C. Do they have 90 days across the 3 cars? I'm assuming most fairly they do, but what happens for the club that has already installed the requirement that out of your 60 days Club use you MUST attend 4 club cruises or events to remain a club member & therefore retain your C4C licencing??? They have to go to 12 club events per year?

How does the regional person with several cars 450+kms from the club or Perth (where most clubs are) get on?

And after all that, what is it the club manages that a non club system can't manage with a logbook and/or App system cannot?

I'm concerned because the these reasonable questions are routinely met with tactical replies not genuine answers containing explanations. Some clubs have already seen this as the greatest membership drive incentive ever. They get a membership fee.

And the 2 families in the Pilbara who are 300kms apart and a good long day's drive to the nearest club & unable to form a club with 30 people without having classic car owners spread over an 800km radius.

Now if you're living in Perth, there will be an even on every weekend. You're likely to go to 4 of them. If your club has 4 events attendence required, boxes ticked perfectly.  Easy system, perfect. Outside WA not so much. People who don't want to join a club or shouldn't be in a club...too bad.

Again, if you've used up your 30 days and you go out driving & its not a club event you're driving unlicenced. Thats fair & correct but who polices this. If its log book, what stops a person not filling the log book & only filling it in when it suits them? Who spots that?
Probably the police if they get caught, only police if they're in an accident and it becomes apparent.
So why is that fine for 30 days in a Clubbed Framework & not exactly the same for 90 days in a non club framework?
Keep in mind you're 3 times less likely to run out of days with a 90 day private use rego than 30.

"Yeah but we put a lot of work into this, if you don't like it don't sign up"

Yeah. Thankfully not all Perth people are of the "I'm alright Jack" club