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The Guardian
11-08-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Road tax for Australian EV users ‘sensible', Tanya Plibersek says ahead of key economic summit
Electric car drivers could be hit with a road tax, with the federal MP Tanya Plibersek framing it a 'sensible' move as more people switch to EVs. Ahead of the federal government's productivity roundtable next week, the idea of a road tax has been floated as an idea to ensure money is set aside for road upkeep. The possibility was flagged by the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, during a speech in June. Chalmers had said he was working with the states and territories 'on the future of road-user charging' for EVs. Transport industry leaders met on Monday ahead of next week's roundtable. Sign up: AU Breaking News email While the federal government has maintained the issue was for states and territories, the minister for social services, Tanya Plibersek, said a tax for EV users made sense. 'I don't think anything's happening tomorrow, but I do think it's sensible … for the states and territories, to look long term at what they do, to make sure that there's enough money to build the roads that people want to drive on,' she told Seven's Sunrise program. 'It's no secret that as the number of petrol vehicles and diesel vehicles goes down, the tax from fuel excise decreases [and] that means less money for building and maintaining roads. 'The states and territories have been looking at this for some time.' Money collected as part of the fuel excise is allocated for fixing roads but concerns have been raised there will be less set aside in coming years as the number of EVs on the roads increases. Victoria tried to put in place a 2c per kilometre charge on EV users in 2023 but the proposal was overruled by the high court. New Zealand has a scheme in place for road-user charges for EVs, with petrol cars soon to be added to the tax. The Coalition senator Jane Hume said more needed to be done to fix ailing roads, which a broader road tax could achieve. 'The fuel excise has been a shrinking tax base, and it's one of the few taxes that's hypothecated for road maintenance,' she told Sky News. 'The rise of EVs is something that has happened exponentially in the last few years. 'We want to make sure that those EV users are making sure that they're responsible for road maintenance in the same way that petrol and diesel car users are.'
BreakingNews.ie
28-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland projected to miss 2030 target of reducing emissions by 51% — EPA
Ireland is projected to achieve a reduction of up to 23 per cent in total greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to a national target of 51 per cent. To achieve a reduction of 23 per cent would require full implementation of a wide range of policies and plans across all sectors and for these to deliver the anticipated carbon savings. Advertisement The first carbon budget and second carbon budget are projected to be exceeded with almost all sectors on a trajectory to exceed their national sectoral emissions ceilings for 2030. Ireland will not meet its EU Effort Sharing Regulation target of 42 per cent reduction by 2030, instead a maximum reduction of 22 per cent is projected. Total emissions from the land sector are projected to increase by up to 95 per cent and Ireland is unlikely to meet our European commitments in this area. EPA analysis shows planned climate policies and measures, if fully implemented, could deliver up to 23 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 2018, down from the 29 per cent reduction projected last year. Advertisement This widening gap to the emissions reduction target of 51 per cent in Ireland's Climate Act is driven by updated information provided by Governmental bodies. They said Transport, Industry and the Buildings (Residential) sectors are projected to be the furthest from their sectoral emission ceilings in 2030, with emission reductions of up to 21 per cent, 12 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. Ireland Up to 6,800 new inpatient beds may be needed by 20... Read More Agriculture emissions are projected to reduce by up to 16 per cent. A direct comparison of the agriculture sector against its sectoral emission ceiling is no longer viable due to the impact of updated science underpinning the estimated agriculture greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking about the report, Laura Burke, director general of the EPA said: 'The EPA's projections show that full delivery of all climate action plans and policies could deliver a 23 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Advertisement "Although emissions trends are going in the right direction, the gaps to our European and National emission reduction targets are now projected to be larger than last year. This highlights the economy-wide effort needed to decarbonise our society and the focus must shift from policy aspiration to practical implementation.' 'As we get closer to 2030 and receive more information on the impact of agreed policies and measures, it is concerning to see projected reductions and lack of progress in the delivery of actions to reduce emissions including in the electrification of our transport sector and the expansion of renewable electricity powering our homes and businesses and the implementation of carbon reduction measures in agriculture."
