If you’re a caravanner and live in the ACT, good news. Your van registration is about to get about $150 cheaper. The bad news? You’ll still be paying more than caravanners in any other state or territory.
The ACT government has announced it will cut registration fees by up to $150 a year from September 1 for light trailers with an ATM of up to 4.5 tonnes.
The discount, aimed at reducing the cost of living for tradies, is also a win for RVers who tow a caravan or camper trailer. However, Canberrans still pay more to register an RV than caravanners anywhere else in Australia.
In the ACT, registration is by weight, with owners of a large caravan (2795kg to 3054kg tare) slugged $994 a year. Add to that a tow vehicle – for example a Ford Ranger – and the on-road cost is $2146. This excludes first-time registration fees.
Compare that to the cost of registering a caravan in Victoria, which has the cheapest fees in Australia – a flat rate of $66.70 a year. When you add on the cost of registering a tow vehicle, the cheapest state is Tasmania ($809 total). But let’s not begrudge Tasmanians a tax break because their cost savings are vastly outweighed by ferry fees if they want to venture beyond the island state!
In NSW, caravanners are already enjoying a 40 per cent reduction on their rego fees, introduced at the end of 2018. A 20 per cent, 12-month fee discount in Queensland is due to end on September 15.
Where you live matters when it comes to how much you pay. Some states and territories have a flat rate, while others levy by weight range, including Western Australia, which is the only state that charges per 100kgs.
To give you an idea of the cost disparities across Australia, here’s a full rundown of fees by state for registering a large caravan (2800kg tare, 3500kg ATM) and a Ford Ranger tow vehicle.
ACT
Caravan registration: $994, by weight
Car registration: $1152
Rig total: $2146
Victoria
Caravan registration: $66.70 flat rate
Car registration: $906.60 (metro areas)
Rig total: $973.30
New South Wales
Caravan registration: $560, by weight
Car registration: $649
Rig total: $1029
Queensland
Caravan registration: $187.85 flat rate
Car registration: $886.65
Rig total: $1074.50
Tasmania
Caravan registration: $147.56, flat rate
Car registration: $662.18
Rig total: $809.74
South Australia
Caravan registration: $102 flat rate
Car registration: $1150 (metro areas)
Rig total: $1252
Northern Territory
Caravan registration: $486.85 by weight
Car registration: $901.25
Rig total: $1388.10
Western Australia
Caravan registration: $241.15 by weight
Car registration: $633.88
Rig total: $875.03
