Page 3264 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 19 August 2008
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We have installed on-bus bike racks and are letting bike riders who use these to travel on buses for free. We are converting our bus fleet. We have legislated for an opt-out system for the purchase of green power by new customers rather than an opt-in system. This will take effect from 1 January 2009. We have a program of retrofitting public housing with energy-saving and water-saving devices to save money for our tenants and help them contribute to a more sustainable future.
We are always seeking new ways to improve our efforts. Our last budget included massive new investment in climate change programs. We committed $3 million this year to install energy-efficient streetlights in Canberra as well as providing half a million dollars for energy-efficient housing and $1.6 million for public school carbon neutrality. A new climate change adaptation research centre at the Australian National University will be established in partnership with the CSIRO, with a $2.5 million one-off grant. We have put in $440,000 over four years to enable the implementation of strategic off-reserve conservation programs, improving the ability of private lessees to help land of high conservation value.
This latest initiative, the green vehicles duty scheme, is another practical step in assisting Canberrans to make more sustainable choices and contribute to climate change solutions. The bill inserts a new section into the Duties Act to enable a determination made under the Taxation Administration Act to recognise or adopt another instrument such as the commonwealth green vehicle guide. The differential duty rate for new vehicles based on environmental performance will be set by disallowable instrument subsequent to the passage of the bill. The best environmentally performing vehicles, with five stars in the green vehicle guide, will have an A rating under the ACT green vehicles duty scheme and pay no duty on first registration. This is a saving of over $1,000 in duty on an A-rated vehicle valued at, say, $34,000. Vehicles with an above-average environmental performance will also pay a reduced duty rate.
Having regard to some of the discussion, it is relevant to place on the record the vehicles for which there will be no change or an additional discount. A Toyota Corolla will receive a $210 discount. For a Holden Commodore there will be no change. For a Mazda3 there will be no change. For a Ford Falcon there will be no change. For a Mitsubishi Lancer there will be no change. For a Hyundai Getz there will be no change. For a Ford Focus there will be no change. For a Holden Astra there will be no change. For a Mazda2 there will be no change. For a Toyota RAV4 there will be no change. For a Toyota Kluger there will be no change. For a Holden utility 4x2 there will be no change. For a Toyota Yaris there will be a $152 discount. For a Toyota Camry there will be a $285 discount. For a Toyota Aurion there will be a $390 discount. For a Honda Civic there will be a $218 discount.
Duty rates on vehicles with average environmental performance or no rating under the green vehicle guide will not, as I just indicated, change. Vehicles with a below-average environmental performance will pay a higher duty rate, consistent with the scheme and the philosophy that underpins the scheme. In that regard, for instance, a Toyota HiLux 4x2 will suffer a $180 increase.
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