Road User Charges (Temporary RUC Reduction Scheme) Amendment Act 2022

1: Title
This Act is the Road User Charges (Temporary RUC Reduction Scheme) Amendment Act 2022.
2: Commencement
This Act comes into force on the day after the date of Royal assent.
3: Principal Act
This Act amends the Road User Charges Act 2012 2022-04-12 Road User Charges Act 2012
4: New sections 42A to 42G and cross-headings inserted
After section 42 Temporary reduction in rates of road user charges
42A: Meaning of temporary reduction period
1: In sections 42B to 42G temporary reduction period
a: beginning on 21 April 2022; and
b: ending on—
i: the date specified by an Order in Council made not later than 21 July 2022; or
ii: if no order is made under subsection (2)
2: The Governor-General may, by Order in Council, shorten or extend the temporary reduction period to a date specified in the order.
3: An order under subsection (2) see The following table is small in size and has 3 columns that are grouped under the heading Legislation Act 2019 requirements for secondary legislation made under this section. Legislation Act 2019 requirements for secondary legislation made under this section Publication PCO must publish it on the legislation website and notify it in the Gazette LA19 s 69(1)﻿(c) Presentation The Minister must present it to the House of Representatives LA19 s 114 Disallowance It may be disallowed by the House of Representatives LA19 ss 115 116 This note is not part of the Act.
42B: Temporary reduction in rate of road user charges
1: Subsection (2)
2: The RUC collector must apply the discounted rate.
3: In this section and sections 42C to 42F discounted rate
a: a 36% discount applied to the normal rate; or
b: a lower discount, as set by Order in Council under subsection (6) normal rate
a: applying immediately before the commencement of the temporary reduction period; and
b: specified for the RUC licence—
i: in the Road User Charges (Rates) Regulations 2015; or
ii: by notice given under section 90A(2)
4: For the purpose of applying the discount to the normal rate, the amount calculated must be rounded up or down to the nearest dollar or cent as follows:
a: for distance licences,—
i: an amount of less than 50 cents must be rounded down to the nearest dollar:
ii: an amount of 50 cents or more must be rounded up to the nearest dollar:
b: for additional licences,—
i: an amount of less than 0.5 cents must be rounded down to the nearest cent:
ii: an amount of 0.5 cents or more must be rounded up to the nearest cent.
5: The discounted rate must be treated as being calculated in accordance with regulations made under section 85.
6: If the temporary reduction period is extended by an Order in Council under section 42A(2) paragraph (a) subsection (3)
7: An order under subsection (6) see The following table is small in size and has 3 columns that are grouped under the heading Legislation Act 2019 requirements for secondary legislation made under this section. Legislation Act 2019 requirements for secondary legislation made under this section Publication PCO must publish it on the legislation website and notify it in the Gazette LA19 s 69(1)﻿(c) Presentation The Minister must present it to the House of Representatives LA19 s 114 Disallowance It may be disallowed by the House of Representatives LA19 ss 115 116 This note is not part of the Act.
42C: Road user charges that apply after end of temporary reduction period
The normal rate of road user charges applies to the purchase of a RUC licence in relation to applications received after the last day of the temporary reduction period. Assessments for unpaid road user charges
42D: When assessments may be issued
1: The RUC collector may issue an assessment for unpaid road user charges to the owner or operator of a RUC vehicle.
2: Subsection (1)
3: In forming an opinion under subsection (2)
a: the objective of the temporary reduction scheme, which is to provide a discount to the owner or operator of a RUC vehicle that is approximately equivalent to the discount on the excise and excise-equivalent duty on motor spirits provided for the owners and operators of vehicles that are not RUC vehicles under the Excise and Excise-equivalent Duties Table (Temporary Reduction of Motor Spirits Duty) Amendment Order 2022:
b: whether, during the temporary reduction period, the owner or operator of a RUC vehicle has purchased RUC licences consistent with the guidance issued by the RUC collector as to what is considered to be reasonable, having regard to the type and use of the RUC vehicle and any other relevant circumstances:
c: any other matter that the RUC collector considers relevant in the circumstances.
4: Part 3 (other than sections 53(4) and 55(6)) applies, as far as it is relevant, to the assessment and collection of unpaid road user charges by the RUC collector under this section.
5: In this section, temporary reduction scheme
a: for the period specified in section 42A(1)
b: in accordance with the discounted rate prescribed in accordance with section 42B
42E: How assessments are to be calculated
For the purpose of section 42D(1) (a − b) × (c − d) = e where— a is the distance covered by RUC licences purchased at the discounted rate b is the distance covered by RUC licences that the RUC collector considers would have been reasonable to purchase for the RUC vehicle during the temporary reduction period c is the normal rate d is the discounted rate that applied at the date of purchase e is the amount of the assessment of unpaid road user charges.
42F: When certain RUC licences are no longer valid
In the case of a RUC licence issued at the discounted rate for a heavy RUC vehicle, section 86(2) applies as if that provision applied to the increase from the discounted rate to the normal rate.
42G: Repeal
1: Sections 42A to 42F sections 42A and 42D
2: Those repeals do not affect the completion of anything done or yet to be done under sections 42A to 42E
3: Subsection (2)