Regulations and Determinations

The majority voted against a motion:

That the Industry Research and Development (Dealership and Repairer Initiative for Vehicle Electrification Nationally (DRIVEN) Program) Instrument 2024, made under the Industry Research and Development Act 1986, be disallowed [F2024L01460].

This motion was introduced by Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts (One Nation) and would have made that Instrument no longer have legal effect. Because the vote was unsuccessful, the DRIVEN Program Instrument 2024 will continue to be part of our law.

What does this Instrument do?

According to the explanatory statement, the DRIVEN program has the following purpose:

To support the automotive sector with this transition, the Government announced $60 million to support the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at Australian automotive dealerships and EV repairers across the country.

This recognises the significant role the automotive sector will play in the successful transition of the broader transport sector to net zero and the impact this will have on individual businesses. The program was announced as part of the Driving the Nation Fund, to deploy EV charging infrastructure in Australian automotive dealerships and EV repairers, to position the industry to support increasing EV uptake.

The program seeks to achieve this purpose by providing $60 million to support the purchase and installation of EV charging infrastructure at automotive dealerships and EV repairers across the country. This funding is intended to support the automotive sector to transition to selling and servicing a higher proportion of EVs.