Next round of ROVER updates due mid-September

The Federal Department of Infrastructure has advised that the next updates to the ROVER (Road Vehicle Regulator) system are planned for Friday, September 8 to Tuesday, September 12.

Most of these changes involve the Department bringing the RAV (Register of Approved Vehicles) system in-house to improve the integration between ROVER and the RAV system.

This should help align the information on the RAV and in ROVER and reduce problems with jurisdictions registering vehicles where the RAV information does not match the vehicle.

It will also involve a change to the email address to be used to submit RAV entries.

ROVER will be unavailable during this period while the Department deploys the update to the system and brings the RAV in-house. During this time, vehicles cannot be entered on the RAV. However, vehicles entered before 12pm AEST on Friday, September 8 can still be searched on the RAV.

The Department will be running webinars to assist in understanding the changes. ROVER users should receive invitations to the webinars this week.

Key changes include:

• Compliance information forms: Reduction in the number of mandatory fields in compliance information forms for Australian Design Rule (ADR) 38/05–Trailer Brake Systems, and ADR 80/03 and 80/04–Emission Control for Heavy Vehicles. There will also be fewer mandatory fields on UN approvals and test reports.

• Model Reports: You will be able to add multiple specialist and enthusiast vehicles (SEVs) entry numbers to your Model Report application or to your existing approval. Please note that the vehicles covered by the Model Report will need to be for the same make and model and meet the same eligibility criteria.

• Overdue invoices: It will be easier to see when you or someone you have authority to act for has an overdue invoice. The Department is adding a banner on the home page (once signed in) and ‘Approvals’ page which will tell you how many invoices are overdue.

• Vehicle recalls: When you submit revised lists of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) for vehicles under recall, ROVER will generate and publish a consolidated list (.CSV file) on the ‘Recalls’ website, replacing the previous file.

Additionally, the Department is strengthening the validations of all RAV submissions to help approval holders comply with their responsibility of providing correct vehicle information on the RAV. This includes:

• New RAV submission email address: When submitting vehicles to the RAV, you will need to send them to RAV.Submissions@infrastructure.gov.au after 9 am AEST on Tuesday, September 12.

• RAV submission response emails: When you send a RAV entry submission, you will receive an email with the total number of records submitted and the number of records that have passed and failed RAV validations. It also includes a list of all the records that were not accepted and the reason(s) why for each record.

• Submitting CSV files: When submitting RAV entries using a .CSV file, you must leave fields blank that are not applicable. If you include any data in those fields, for example n/a or no, the record will not pass validation and it will need to be amended and resubmitted.

• Approval details: Each RAV entry record in your submission will be validated against the approval details in ROVER and checked that the approval is in force.

• Approval numbers: When an authorised vehicle verifier submits a vehicle modified by a registered automotive workshop (RAW) to the RAV, they will need to provide the RAW approval number instead of the approval holder name. The RAV will check that the approval is in force. They will also need to provide the concessional RAV entry approval and Model Report approval numbers in the requested field and in the correct format. This has not changed; however, this field will be validated against the information in ROVER and if not submitted correctly, it will need to be amended and resubmitted.

• Make and model details: Where a vehicle has been manufactured or modified by a RAW, the make and model in the RAV entry submission must match the make and model in the Model Report or it will not pass validation.

• Maximum entries: The RAV will accept a maximum of 2,000 records per RAV batch submission.

• Publishing vehicles on the RAV: The Department will be uploading vehicles to the RAV more often, reducing the time it takes for correct RAV submissions to appear on the public search.

Further details of the changes are available on the Department’s website.