Australians have always valued fairness and choice. We like knowing that when something breaks, we can shop around for the best price and service. But in recent decades, too many of us have found that choice taken away.
When our government came to office, independent mechanics often couldn't get the data or software needed to fix modern cars. Diagnostic tools were encrypted or withheld, forcing drivers back to dealerships and driving up prices. The Productivity Commission found that these restrictions limited competition, wasted skilled labour and raised costs across a $27 billion industry employing more than 130,000 Australians.
That's why our government introduced Australia's first legislated right to repair, the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme. Since then, car manufacturers have been required to share diagnostic information with independent mechanics on fair terms. For consumers, it means real choice about where to take their vehicle. For local garages, it means a fair chance to compete. And for the economy, it means stronger productivity through competition.
Early signs are promising. Treasury's review shows that 65 per cent of independent repairers report higher productivity, and the number of vehicles being turned away has fallen by around 40 per cent. Turnover in the sector is up 6.7 per cent, or about $1.8 billion a year. That's the power of open markets: when information flows freely, productivity follows.
Australia's right to repair reform is part of a broader global movement to give consumers real choice over who fixes their goods. Colorado has legislated repair rights for electronic wheelchairs and farm machinery. Canada now lets repairers legally bypass digital locks for legitimate fixes. Across Europe, right‑to‑repair laws are extending product lifespans, reducing waste and supporting local industries. France and Belgium even require 'repairability indexes' on products, so buyers can see how fixable an item is before purchase.
This is about ensuring technology works for people, not against them. The principle is simple: when you buy a product, you should be able to choose a qualified repairer who can maintain or mend it safely and fairly. Technology should open markets, not close them.
Few sectors illustrate this better than farming. Today's agricultural machinery is packed with software, sensors and satellite links, but locked behind digital walls. Farmers who once relied on trusted local mechanics now find that only authorised dealers can perform even basic maintenance. As Junee farmer Martin Honner put it, 'With new machinery there's pressure on us not to do our own maintenance … I feel we've been dumbed‑down.' When a harvester breaks down at harvest time, waiting days for an authorised technician can cost thousands.
The Productivity Commission estimates that extending right‑to‑repair principles to agriculture could add $97 million a year to GDP by avoiding downtime. And the waste isn't just time. Inverell contractor Martin Murray told how a $50 clevis could only be bought as part of a $1,600 assembly because the maker refused to sell the part separately. 'You've taken a $50 part and turned it into a $1,600 part,' he said. 'It's wasteful.'
At this year's NSW Farmers conference, delegates called for a legislated right to repair for agricultural equipment. Vice‑President Rebecca Reardon put it bluntly: 'Farmers should be able to access diagnostic software and choose a qualified local repairer if they wish.' This isn't nostalgia. It's economics. Every hour a broken tractor sits idle is lost output. Every unnecessary restriction is a drag on productivity.
Right to repair isn't just consumer policy; it's competition policy. When manufacturers restrict access to repair information, they create barriers that push up prices and slow service. When information flows freely, independent businesses thrive, skills stay local, and consumers benefit. Repair choice also strengthens regional economies, keeping money circulating through small businesses that employ apprentices, sponsor local clubs and serve their communities.
It's also a sustainability issue. Extending product life reduces waste and lessens our reliance on global supply chains. The pandemic showed the risks of 'just‑in‑time' systems. Right to repair supports a 'just‑in‑case' economy, one that's more resilient when disruptions hit.
The government's broader productivity and competition agenda, shaped through the renewed National Competition Policy Agreement with the states and territories, recognises that a more competitive economy is a more productive one. Right to repair fits squarely in that vision. It's a practical, evidence‑based reform that boosts efficiency and fairness at once. Treasury's ongoing review of the motor vehicle scheme will ensure we capture every lesson, and we're now exploring how the same principles could extend to agriculture and other sectors.
Australia doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, just make sure everyone has a fair chance to fix it. From mechanics in Melbourne to farmers in Moree, Australians understand the value of choice, fairness and competition.
Right to repair is about empowering consumers to choose who fixes their things. When markets are open, competition thrives. When skilled repairers have access to the tools and information they need, productivity rises. And when consumers can shop around freely, we all get a fairer deal.
Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury.
