Divisions
- Climate Change Priorities
- Climate change: key facts and figures
- What you can do
- Calendar of events
-
Tasmania's Climate Change Action Plan 2017–2021
- Minister's Foreword
- Our Priorities
- Understanding Tasmania's future climate
- Advancing our renewable energy capability
- Reducing our transport emissions
- Growing a climate-ready economy
- Building climate resilience
- Supporting community action
- Next steps
- Climate change in Tasmania
- List of acronyms and abbreviations
- What We Heard Report - Consult_ext climate change action plan
- Developing a new climate change action plan for Tasmania
- Newsletter
Contact Details
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Our staff
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Reducing our transport emissions
By 2021 we will be:
- Reducing our fuel costs and transport emissions through improved fleet efficiency and increasing the uptake of public transport; and Supporting the uptake of electric vehicles in Tasmania.
Transport emissions have been declining in recent years, mainly due to improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency. In 2015 Tasmania’s transport sector had the highest emissions out of all the reported sectors of our economy, highlighting a need to put in place a range of strategies to support a more sustainable transport system.3
Emerging technologies, such as electric vehicles, are likely to transform transport systems in coming decades. Supporting the uptake of electric vehicles through a planned and coordinated approach, which is informed and driven by the market, will position Tasmania to maximise the potential benefits.
These benefits may be far-reaching for Tasmania. Electric vehicles are less expensive to run than petrol or diesel vehicles, and together with increased renewable electricity supply, will reduce the emissions from our transport sector and help to improve our energy security.
In January 2016, Metro Tasmania introduced a new Hobart bus network, with more frequent and direct services, and better connections at interchanges. By making it faster, smarter and easier to catch a bus, it is intended that more people will choose to leave their car at home, reducing congestion and improving travel time for all road users. The next stage of this work is to review the Metro bus networks in Launceston and Burnie.
Other opportunities to reduce emissions and save on vehicle running costs include considering fuel efficiency and engine size when purchasing a new or used vehicle. We can also address transport emissions by encouraging Tasmanians to use alternative modes of transport such as walking and cycling, especially for short trips.
The actions for this priority area focus on:
- Working in partnership with TasNetworks, local government and the private sector to support the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure;
- Investigating options to address market barriers that are currently hindering greater uptake of electric vehicles, and support the adoption of new transport modes; and
- Supporting Tasmanians to make lower carbon travel choices.
What we have done so far:
Delivered the Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project in partnership with Hydro Tasmania and TasNetworks
Rolled out the Smarter Fleets program to improve light vehicle fleet efficiency with a number of councils, TasNetworks, TasPorts and TasTAFE
Initiated significant planning reforms, including infrastructure and planning policies to facilitate and promote active transport
Released for public consultation a draft transport access strategy, which sets out the Tasmanian Government’s approach to providing integrated and coordinated transport services, including more opportunities for people to walk, cycle and use public transport
Metro Tasmania has introduced a new Turn Up and Go service between Hobart, Rosny Park and Howrah, along with new direct routes to the Sandy Bay University of Tasmania campus from Glenorchy and the Eastern Shore
| Action | Milestones | Lead Agency Partner Agency |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 Support the rollout of a statewide electric vehicle charging network consistent with market trends | Undertake a report that assesses approaches to the rollout of a charging network and is informed by a market analysis Work with local government, businesses and industry to improve charging network infrastructure in Tasmania | DPAC (TCCO) |
| 3.2 Establish an electric vehicle working group to develop a coordinated approach | Identify barriers to electric vehicle uptake Review relevant policy and regulatory settings Analyse the impact of electric vehicle uptake on Tasmania’s electricity sector Investigate ways to improve electric vehicle data collection | DPAC (TCCO) |
| 3.3 Extend the Smarter Fleets program to improve the efficiency of heavy vehicle fleets and additional light vehicle fleets | Conduct training and workshops, and provide tailored support Develop tools and resources to support broader adoption of identified strategies Monitor the impact on fleet performance | DPAC (TCCO) |
| 3.4 Support public transport uptake | Continue to improve the overall journey times for passengers with more frequent and direct services Pursue opportunities such as the prioritisation of buses Use State Planning Policies to guide the location of development to ensure effective use of the transport network | State Growth |
| 3.5 Improve the efficiency of the Tasmanian Government transport fleet | Implement strategies identified through the Smarter Fleets program in the Tasmanian Government light vehicle fleet Review the Green Vehicle Guide minimum standards for the Tasmanian Government fleet Identify and address barriers to the uptake of electric vehicles in the Tasmanian Government fleet | DPAC (TCCO) |
3 Australian Department of Environment, 2017, State and Territory Greenhouse Gas Inventories 2015