Independent advisory body Infrastructure Victoria has called for a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in Victdoria by 2035, as part of its 30-year infrastructure strategy that contains 94 recommendations for projects, policies, and reforms.
, including a commanding instruction to commit “to no longer registering new petrol and diesel vehicles in Victoria by 2035 at the latest”.
Infrastructure Victoria was established by the Andrews Labor government after it won office in 2014 and prepares the strategy every three to five years. The latest was presented to parliament on Thursday, and updates its less ambitious (at least in terms of EV policy) draft published in late-2020.
The entire strategy and its 94 recommendations are intensely rooted in responding to the challenge of climate change. The first 20 recommendations are specifically targeted at climate action and clean energy development and prioritise the importance of a plan to support the uptake of electric vehicles.
It calls for the publication of a Victorian electric vehicle (EV) charging network strategy, as well as a continued monitoring of “the effectiveness of financial incentives in encouraging early zero emission vehicle purchases” – which seems a not-so-subtle dig at Victoria’s current road user charge for EVs.
The strategy also calls for the fleet of government vehicles and freight vehicles to transition to zero emission vehicles over the next five years.
The highlight, however, is the recommendation that Victoria commit “to no longer registering new petrol and diesel vehicles in Victoria by 2035 at the latest”.
This is much earlier than was vaguely described in the December draft, which said only that the government should consider various “policy levers to phase out all internal combustion engine vehicles during the next 30 years.”
“The recommendation to effectively ban new internal combustion engine vehicles from 2035 at the latest is a major step forward,” said Dr Nicholas Aberle, Environment Victoria Campaigns Manager.
“Transport produces almost a quarter of Victoria’s emissions, and unlike some other sectors that pollution continues to grow.
“Cleaner cars are important, but so is getting people into public and active transport. We support the recommendations to boost alternatives to private cars, but think these could have gone further.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.