Mandatory Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Standards

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne (Greens), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) road transport amounts to 12 per cent of Australia’s total carbon dioxide emissions, and the largest source of these emissions was passenger cars,

(ii) more efficient cars would improve Australia’s energy security,

(iii) internationally, a number of states have adopted mandatory standards for vehicle fuel efficiency, for example Europe is in the process of legislating for a target of 130g CO2 per km by 2015,

(iv) the automotive industry accepted a voluntary target of 222g CO2 per kilometre by 2010 and that this target was met ahead of schedule, arguably with ‘business as usual’ improvements,

(v) the 2010-11 Budget cut $200 million from the Green Car Innovation Fund, which provides grants to automobile industries to encourage investment in efficient technology, a cut that was justified on the basis that demand for grants was lower than anticipated, and

(iv) in July 2009, the Council of Australian Governments requested that the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government produce a regulatory impact statement into a mandatory scheme for vehicle fuel efficiency and that this report was originally to be made public for consultation before the end of March 2010, but has still not been released; and

(b) calls on the Government to release the regulatory impact statement into a mandatory scheme for vehicle fuel efficiency and move to introduce mandatory fuel efficiency standards without further delay.