ELECTRIC VEHICLES —
NATIONAL VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS
976. Hon Dr BRAD PETTITT to the minister representing the
Minister for Climate Action:
I refer to the State electric
vehicle strategy for Western Australia. The electric vehicle uptake section
states —
A key measure that could support the
adoption of electric vehicles across Australia is the introduction of national vehicle carbon dioxide � emission
standards by the Australian Government. The average emissions
performance of vehicles in Australia is currently very poor because of the lack
of national fuel efficiency or carbon emissions standards.
(1) How will the
minister ensure that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
delivers on its commitment to ''encourage the Australian Government to
introduce vehicle � standards in line with other OECD countries''?
(2) Can the
minister please table any evidence or progress updates confirming that DWER is
working to encourage the adoption of national vehicle emissions standards?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Climate Action.
(1)–(2) The Minister for Environment; Climate Action wrote
to the commonwealth Department of Industry, Science, Energy and
Resources on 30 April 2021 to provide a submission to the commonwealth's
Future Fuels Strategy: Discussion paper:
Powering choice: February 2021.
In this submission, the minister clearly outlined the need for the
commonwealth government to focus on the introduction of carbon dioxide
emissions standards for passenger vehicles
in line with other OECD countries. In addition, the Minister for Environment;
Climate Action wrote to the commonwealth
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications in May 2021 in response to the
draft regulation impact statements for the introduction of improved
noxious emissions standards for new light vehicles, Euro 6, and heavy vehicles,
Euro VI, outlining the importance of carbon emissions standards for passenger
vehicles. The director general of the Department of Water and Environmental
Regulation reiterated the importance of vehicle carbon emission standards in
her speech at the iDrive: Towards Zero Emissions electric vehicles conference
and exhibition held on 4 November 2021. The minister's office has also
recently written to the commonwealth Minister for the Environment requesting
that vehicle emissions standards be included as an agenda item for the next
environment ministers meeting.