The shift to zero-emission vehicles, including batteries, fuel cells and biofuels, and complementary industries, such as the manufacture of green hydrogen and sustainable mining of essential minerals, can create new manufacturing businesses and jobs. There are also wider benefits from a zero emission future including lower transport costs and improved air quality that will contribute to more liveable and resilient Queensland communities.
Government action
Queensland is already taking steps to support the transport sector to meet the State’s 2030 emissions target and to increase the climate resilience of the state’s transport systems.
On the 16 March 2022, the Queensland Government released Queensland’s Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy 2022–2032 and the first Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan 2022–2024.
The Strategy is accelerating Queensland toward a cleaner, greener transport future while making sure our energy network can support the transition to zero emission vehicles.
To help realise the Queensland Government’s target of zero net emissions by 2050, the Strategy sets new targets for zero net emissions vehicles of:
– 50% of new passenger vehicle sales to be zero emission by 2030, moving to 100% by 2036
– 100% of eligible Queensland Government fleet passenger vehicles to be zero emission by 2026
– Every new TransLink funded bus added to the fleet to be a zero emission bus from 2025 in South East Queensland and from 2025–2030 across regional Queensland.
Actions
- Delivering The Future is Electric: Queensland’s Electric Vehicle Strategy and the Queensland Electric Super Highway (QESH). The QESH provides 31 fast charging locations, connecting Coolangatta to Port Douglas and Brisbane to Toowoomba. This includes 18 new charging stations that will allow motorists to travel across Outback Queensland. QESH charging stations use carbon neutral energy either through direct green energy generation or offsets.
- Supporting renewable fuel production through the Queensland Hydrogen Industry Strategy and Biofuel mandate.
- Continuing to offer lower annual vehicle registration charges and stamp duty for electric vehicle owners.
- Implementing QFleet’s Environmental Strategy and Electric Vehicle Transition Strategy for the Queensland Government motor vehicle fleet.
- Expanding beyond private passenger vehicles by working towards decarbonising our public transport network. By 2030, every new urban bus that is added to the contracted fleet across Queensland will have zero emissions.
- Investing $7 million on switch more than 35,000 lights on Queensland state roads to Smart LED Road Lighting.
- Implementing Queensland’s Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy 2022–2032 and the Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan 2022–2024.
Plans
- Managing climate risks in the transport sector through the Climate Change Risk Assessments for Infrastructure Projects which provides guidance on how to assess climate change risk for transport infrastructure.
Climate action projects
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Small World Journeys
Sustainability is at the heart of Small World Journeys’ operations. The team commit to reducing their resource use and making their community better.
Smart Streets – LED Lighting
The Queensland Government is investing in smarter, less-energy, intensive street lights, cutting energy usage by up to 40%.
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Cross River Rail
South East Queensland’s (SEQ) population is rising, putting the transport network under pressure. While over 80%of population growth is occurring outside the Brisbane local government area, in the same time period 45% of new SEQ…
Low-emissions buses across Queensland
The Queensland Government’s focus will expand beyond private passenger vehicles by working towards decarbonising our public transport network. By 2030, every new urban bus that is added to the contracted fleet across Queensland will have…
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Energex electric bucket truck
Queensland’s storm recovery and network maintenance has been supercharged with Energex taking delivery of the state’s first fully electric bucket truck.
Austek and Pearl Global - Carbonphalt
Two Queensland based companies, Austek and Pearl Global, have developed a product that repurposes car tyres into asphalt for roads.
Queensland Electric Super Highway
The Queensland Electric Super Highway is the world’s longest electric super highway in a single state.
More transport projects…
See all 12 transport climate action projects.
Jobs and skills for Queensland’s future
Existing initiatives helping to skill Queenslanders for future opportunities in the transport sector include:
- The Department of Transport and Main Roads mandates that all major project sustainability assessments (over $100M) use the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia rating tool and achieve a minimum rating of ‘excellent’ or above. This mandate incentivises contractors to apply sustainability practices, including climate change risk assessments and upskill their employees in best practice initiatives.
- The Queensland Government is supporting innovative companies to develop Electric Vehicle technology, such as Brisbane based Tritium which now employs more than 200 people to produce and distribute their EV fast-charging systems globally.
- The Advance Queensland Innovation Partnership program offers grants of up to $1.5 million to Queensland research organisations to collaborate with industry on projects addressing science and research priorities, including clean energy. Griffith University has collaborated with energy companies on projects to develop and apply world-leading smart grid theory, technology and applications as part of this research.
- The Queensland Government provides targeted investment through a number of vocational education and training programs to assist the transport industry to train and upskill their current and future workforce and provide apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities.
What you can do
Community, business and industry are encouraged to take action to harness opportunities in a low carbon future.
Read about the Queensland Government’s current grants and funding opportunities.
More sectors
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The Queensland Government’s commitment to unlock renewable investment and achieve our renewable energy target of 50% by 2030 is a key mechanism to support our emissions reduction targets.
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The production of wind turbines, solar cells, batteries and high-tech devices like mobile phones offers opportunities for Queensland’s resources sector. ‘New economy minerals’ like copper, cobalt and graphite are critical to these products and place Queensland in a unique position to contribute to the developing high-tech, low carbon economy.
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The manufacturing sector underpins many other sectors of the Queensland economy, making it important that new technologies and practices are adopted to enhance production and competitiveness.
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The shift to zero-emission vehicles, including batteries, fuel cells and biofuels, and complementary industries, such as the manufacture of green hydrogen and sustainable mining of essential minerals, can create new manufacturing businesses and jobs. There are also wider benefits from a zero emission future including lower transport costs and improved air quality that will contribute to more liveable and resilient Queensland communities.
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The shift to a low-carbon future presents significant opportunities for Queensland’s land and agriculture sector and its supply chain to deliver productivity, profitability and environmental benefits.
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The opportunity to develop more efficient and climate resilient buildings and infrastructure will reduce running costs and avoid expensive reconstruction in the long term.
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The Queensland tourism industry has the opportunity to demonstrate best practice sustainability and build on Queensland’s reputation as a first-class tourism destination.
