Fuel Efficiency Standards Not Suited To Regional North Queensland

Opinion Piece 

Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox is calling out the Australian Government following the release of research that suggests its supercharged fuel efficiency standards could cost hard-working Aussies up to $25,000 more by 2029.

Mr Willcox said the Government’s supercharged fuel efficiency standards are another discriminatory blow to rural and regional Australia.

 “According to the FCAI (Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries), the top selling cars in Australia such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, and Mitsubishi Outlander could cost up to $25,000 more after Labor’s fuel efficiency standards come into effect on 1 January 2025,” Mr Willcox said.

“The people of Dawson are currently struggling through a Labor created cost-of-living crisis, and this announcement comes at a time when people are worried about how they’re going to put food on the table, let alone how they’re going to be able to afford the extra costs of a practical vehicle."

The new fuel efficiency standards aim to support the growth of electric and battery-operated vehicle sales in Australia, but Mr Willcox suggested they are out of touch with what regional and rural Australia needs right now.

“These policies are tone deaf to the needs of people living in rural and regional areas, especially those living and working in our electorate of Dawson, and it seems that the Prime Minister does not understand what it takes to live in our communities,” he said.

“The reality is that the functionality and reliability of our vehicles can mean the difference between being able to feed your family or not.

“Electric and battery-operated vehicles do not have the capacity to cope with the needs of those living and working in our electorate of Dawson.

“They cannot transport what needs to be transported.

“They cannot carry the weight, they cannot tow the load, and worst of all, they cannot travel the vast distances needed or handle the harsh landscapes.

“This is purely a city orientated policy.

“It’s just not going to work for our tradies, farmers, fishers, and miners in Dawson.

“These vehicles are not up to the task.  

Mr Willcox said regional and rural areas across Australia do not have the infrastructure to support electric vehicles and, util this infrastructure exists, or electric and battery-operated vehicles can cope with the demands of regional communities, hard-working Australian residents cannot be denied the right to drive a vehicle that suits them and their work or lifestyle.

“We’re all committed to ensuring a cleaner, more sustainable future for Australia, but the Albanese Labor Government seems determined to set extreme deadlines to reach these targets, when what we really need are commonsense approaches that will actually work, and right now, this policy isn’t one of them,” he said.

“Australia is a relatively small market for car manufacturers, and with the stoke of a pen, the Labor Government is ensuring that Australian’s will not only have to pay more for a vehicle, they’re also going to be left with less choice if car manufacturers decide to pull out of the Australian market.”

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