30 September 2008

What is this plate?

| johnboy
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[First filed: September 30, 2008 @ 07:53]

Any car nerds want to fill us in on what this number plate is or does?

It was spotted on Canberra Avenue just near the Bus Depot Markets.

Colour of a diplomatic plate but with no DC. Car’s surely too dirty to be some sort of dealer plate…

Anyone?

UPDATE: A very reliable source informs me that this plate is definitely a Western Australian one despite the lack of any State markings. Sandgroper exceptionalism at work again.

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Determination of Design of Number Plates 2003 (No 1)
http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/2003-66/20030214-4192/pdf/2003-66.pdf

(B) a numberplate for a motor vehicle which is registered in the name:

(i) of the Government of an overseas country, or of an international
organisation, being a vehicle used for the purpose of a diplomatic
mission;

(ii) of a diplomatic agent or a person (not being a person who is an
Australian citizen or who is a permanent resident of Australia) who is a
member of the family of a diplomatic agent forming part of his or her
household; or

(iii) of a member of the administrative and technical staff of a diplomatic
mission or a person (not being a person who is an Australian citizen or
who is a permanent resident of Australia) who is a member of the family
of such a person forming part of his or her household;

shall be formed of metal plate bearing a black legend on a blue reflective
background;

Saw one of these today (yeah I know, I’m 9 months behind). I don’t think it is a WA plate. The car looked brand new and was from a local dealer. I’m with the International Org. Or does IO mean they’ve taken out a loan?

More likely to the the WA plates mentioned above. The DC/DX plates have ACT on them from memory. Why you would want the hideous colour like that anyway I don’t know. They really need to do an update of the ACT plates though and offer more variations, like the european plates offered in VIC/NSW/QLD, and scrap the Centenary plates until 2012/2013, I fail to see the point of them for the next 5 years!

Yes, the IO plates are for International Organisations (such as the International Organisation for Migration and United Nations) as listed by DFAT on their web site, as per below. What surprises me is that there is no state designation on the plates, as there are for DC/DX (Diplomatic Corps/Staff) plates and CC (Consular Corps) plates. Most IO plates are domiciled in the ACT, as all DC/DX plates are, but some are not – and CC ones of course are all interstate. Without the state designation they do look a bit dodgy – and un-Australian!

International Organisations in Australia
A | C | E | I | P | U | W
A

ADB
C

CCAMLR
CCSBT
E

EIB
I

IDLO
IOM
P

PITIC
U

United Nations
W

World Bank Group

Very strange, heaps of info about DC and DX prefix plates out there, but nothing about this type of plate that I could find online.
Could it be for ambiguous states like Taiwan? If it is, they’d be the only diplomats not to drive a BMW or Merc.

I’m going to suggest IO means Intelligence Organisation. I mean, that shade of blue is the same as the ASIS logo and who would ever suspect they’re being spied on by a Mazda?

I think more likely something like the Palestinian Authority or representatives of the Taiwanese government – something not recognised as a State, but State-like.

ikarus said :

The_Soarer said :

Its an ACT “International Organisation” plate. Used for registration of a “vehicle of members of personnel of a permanent mission or an international organisation”

Ahh.. So that’s where all the World Vision money goes…

It could be the personal vehicle of someone who works for one of these organisations. Same too with Diplomatic cars too, most you see are owned by the person driving them, not the embassy.

I suspect it’s a nerdish attempt at binary humour.

The_Soarer said :

Its an ACT “International Organisation” plate. Used for registration of a “vehicle of members of personnel of a permanent mission or an international organisation”

Ahh.. So that’s where all the World Vision money goes…

Nice one SheepGroper 😉

Its an ACT “International Organisation” plate. Used for registration of a “vehicle of members of personnel of a permanent mission or an international organisation”

Should have jumped out and gotten a look at his rego sticker.

cranky said :

Suspect it may be NZ.

Wouldn’t NZ plates all start with BAA?

Woody MC: I think the prohibition on II, IO, OI, and OO is because automatic number plate recognition systems can mix them up with ones and zeroes.

Suspect it may be NZ.

In a stunning display of foresight and cleverness, the Secret Squirrels have mandated that their fleet be registered under feindishly obscure license plate numbers.

The secret acronym? Intelligence Officer.

tylersmayhem9:26 am 30 Sep 08

I’m sure David Koresh from the Branch Davidians has the same style number plate. Was the car driving into a compound?

They’re from the volcanic Jovian moon of Io. It says so on the plate.
I welcome our new alien overlords.

Woody Mann-Caruso9:06 am 30 Sep 08

In Victoria, you can’t purchase a plate starting with II, IO, OO, OI or CC so it seems to be something official-like. There’s mention of CC plates in the guidelines for diplomatic / consular plates (something to do with using a diplomatic car outside the ACT, I think). International Official? I dunno.

Perhaps its a personalised version of that type of plate? Seems strange that it doesn’t have the letters of the state on it. Good luck trying to fine them for a camera infringment!! If you find out where they are from can you let me know – I might buy a set!!

A worthy effort Hamilton, but those plates have three letters before the break and a big WA on the plate.

So it’s not this one.

I’ve seen plates like this before from Western Australia

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