Transport

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.

Existing actions include:

  • 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.

  • Plans

Climate action projects

View all 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.

Have your say on the new Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Strategy.

More sectors

  • Energy

    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.

  • Resources

    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.

  • Manufacturing

    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.

  • Transport

    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.

  • Land & agriculture

    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.

  • Built environment

    The opportunity to develop more efficient and climate resilient buildings and infrastructure will reduce running costs and avoid expensive reconstruction in the long term.

  • Tourism

    The Queensland tourism industry has the opportunity to demonstrate best practice sustainability and build on Queensland’s reputation as a first-class tourism destination.