New Raptor revealed with 330kW PHEV powertrain, but it's not a Ford Ranger
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Perth Now
13 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Australian Government pushes EV road-user charge to top of tax reforms to-do list
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Australia are facing a new road-user charge, one of 10 key tax changes proposed by the federal government during a three-day economic summit in Canberra. The road user charge was one of the '10 key areas' of tax reform led by federal treasurer Jim Chalmers, with plans to introduce road user charges for vehicles not paying the national fuel excise. The fuel excise is a significant source of government revenue and was increased to 51.8 cents per litre of petrol and diesel on August 4, 2025. 'There was a lot of support in the room for road user charging,'' Mr Chalmers said after the summit. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'There wasn't a final model settled, but there was a lot of conceptual support for road user charging. 'There was more than the usual amount of consensus in a conceptual way around road user charging. A lot of reform appetite in that area, which is welcome.' Mr Chalmers has previously raised the issue of a road user charge, having put forward the idea for advice to the national cabinet in 2023 as a replacement for the fuel excise, but no progress was made on the idea. Earlier this month, the Treasurer said the government was 'accelerating work' while members of the federal treasury attended a road-user charging forum in Sydney. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The federal government's plans include a phased roll-out of a road user charge, with a long-term goal of replacing the fuel excise for all vehicles. This comes as revenue raised from the fuel excise is expected to fall as the number of low- and zero-emission vehicles, including EVs, become more popular. The road user charge plan is set for further discussion on September 5, with the Treasurer asking the states and territories for feedback. 'The states are putting together an options paper … to give you a sense of the considerations that people in the room were grappling with.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert There's no state or territory in Australia currently issuing a road user charge, with Victoria's previous system cancelled after the Australian High Court declared it invalid – deeming it an 'excise' not a 'tax', and therefore something a state can't impose. The federal government has already introduced a road-user charge, however, this is part of pilot program for heavy vehicles. The National Heavy Vehicle Charging Pilot, of which Phase 3 was just completed, is designed to test different ways to charge heavy vehicles for their road usage based on their weight and the distance travelled instead of through registration or fuel excise. MORE: Australian Government weighing national road-user charge for EVs – report MORE: High Court forces Victorian government to repeal electric car tax
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Americanisation of our culture': Tipping frequency, values on the rise in Australia
New research has shown Australians are tipping more and at higher amounts when they dine out, with one state leading the charge in the 'divisive' practice. Fresh data from Australian payment company Zeller has revealed Victorians are tipping higher amounts than any other state, with the value and frequency of tipping across the country increasing for the last three years. The frequency of tips recorded by the payment platform has increased 13 per cent year on year, while tipping values have risen 25 per cent. Zeller director of growth Josh McNicol said tipping is 'definitely a divisive issue because Australians can sometimes see it as the Americanisation of our culture'. 'Unlike in America where tipping really forms part of the server's wage, in Australia it's more about recognition of a great service or a great experience,' he said. 'It really comes down to the business owner, the restaurateur, to know how their customers would react to something like this and then decide (if) this (is) a feature in their payment terminal they want to switch on or off.' Though each state has seen a spike in tipping, it's less common in regional areas, where the behaviour has declined by 10 per cent. The controversial practice seems here to stay, with Aussies increasingly being prompted for tips when ordering food or drinks through a QR code, or paying on a rideshare app. While some venues have been criticised for adding gratuity to a bill automatically, Australian Restaurant & Cafe Association CEO Wes Lambert said it is completely legal and increasingly commonplace within the hospitality industry. 'The ACCC requires restaurants and cafes to inform diners and consumers about any mandatory fees, such as weekend and public holiday surcharges, on top of standard menu prices before they order,' Mr Lambert told 'Every business has a different revenue and cost structure, certainly when you go to hire a solicitor and the fee is $600-an-hour plus expenses, those expenses are variable but they let you know it exists. It's just like this and becoming more commonplace. 'So in practice, that is how it is supposed to work, but often times consumers might not read the fine print, and can certainly be surprised when it is added to the bill.' For those who do choose to pay on top of their bill, the nation's biggest tippers were Victorians at an average of $39.50 – more than double the average value of NSW residents' tips at $16.90. West Australians were the least generous state, tipping an average of $12.48. Mr McNicol attributed the disparity to 'Victoria, particularly Melbourne, has for a long time been recognised as the centre of Australia's dining and hospitality sector'. Restaurants that offer table service received the highest average tips of any individual sector. 'There's a cultural element there where Australians are happy to support the battlers and those people that are working to provide them a great service,' Mr McNicol said. 'Technology has really enabled the service industry to catch up and to allow tipping to become a little bit more a part of the natural flow. 'Whether Australians like it or hate it, it's something that we are steadily seeing more in our day-to-day lives.'
Canberra Times
5 hours ago
- Canberra Times
The four-day work week would benefit you, me and the rest of the country
Now, there is absolutely no question that the four-day week will benefit all Australians. It will benefit those of us who work. It will benefit people who look after kids. It will be an extra day for less childcare (groaning under demand). It will be another moment to do all those things which make our lives run: batch cooking, GP appointments, bill paying, breathing, walking, cuddling, cleaning. I reckon it will even cut down on Australian levels of anxiety. Nothing would make us more productive than having lower levels of stress. Same for working from home. Do we need to be under our bosses' noses? Surveillance capitalism at its worst.
