The Liberal Government’s long-overdue “Plan” to reduce transport emissions makes it very clear they have no intention to take the action needed on climate change. Nearly a year after its legal due date, the so-called “Plan” has no new funding behind it, and will cause no meaningful emissions’ reductions in the transport space.
Carbon emissions from transport have continued, business as usual, for decades. There’s no moves in the “Plan” to shift people towards public transport, to make buses cheaper, more frequent and reliable, or any incentives to switch to low-emissions’ public transport.
The Liberals haven’t even reinstated the 180 bus services “temporarily suspended” over a year ago.
Despite the ever continuing electric bus trial, there’s no commitment to electrify the fleet over the next five years. The Rockliff Government appears to have abandoned even funding their electric vehicle subsidy scheme.
It even looks like there’s no new money towards this transport emissions’ plan. This year’s ‘Climate Change Activity Statement’ shows the Liberals are discontinuing previous climate initiatives to fund their Plans.
Jeremy Rockliff promised Tasmanians when he ditched the climate change ministry his government would still be taking strong climate action. This transport “Plan” shows they’ve got no intention on changing business-as-usual at all.
This is a terrible response by the Rockliff Government’s to the climate emergency. The extreme wind and flood events that slammed so many regional communities recently show how critical it is to urgently cut our carbon emissions. Propping up business-as-usual is walking us into a worsening climate crisis, and Jeremy Rockliff will be judged harshly by future generations.
