The floods afflicting Queensland and the Murray/Darling system will leave in their wake huge numbers of immersed vehicles. This will constitute a trap for bargain hunters who fail to do their homework.
Conventional wisdom insists that it is not economic to try and repair the modern automobile after it is immersed in water because of the number of components that will be adversely affected. The insurance industry will therefore " write off " most late model vehicles - and they will then go to auction to the highest bidder.
It is inevitable that shonky dealers - and probably the outlaw motorcycle gangs - will develop methods to hide this water damage, deodorise the interior - and present the restored vehicle, much as has happened with car wrecks sold for a pittance.
Knowing this in going to happen presents government's with an opportunity to step in and create new laws to regulate the trade in restored vehicles. If the damage is such that the only legal use would be for spare parts - then the compliance plate that must be fixed on all registered cars should be removed - and destroyed.
To be effective, a uniform law would need to apply across all states. What odds that our politicians discuss such a law - and then do nothing ?
What odds that six months from now our newspapers will be screaming headlines about buyers being duped with unsafe - and over priced - flood danaged cars ?
Will we ever learn ?
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