Governments told to stop offering 'band-aid remedies' to fuel prices and start implementing long-term initiatives
Governments have been told to stop offering “band-aid remedies” to fuel prices and start implementing long-term alternative measures.
Isuzu Australia Director Phil Taylor has blasted the Rudd Government’s and the Opposition’s approach to fuel, claiming they are more concerned about scoring cheap political points than trying to address the issue.
He says the Federal Government needs to take a leadership role in advancing environmentally-friendly technology to slash greenhouse emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
“It’s something that governments should have begun tackling some time ago,” Taylor says.
“The idea of cutting [the] fuel excise by five cents a litre or freezing the GST on fuel is about short term politicking and [is] not a long term solution.”
Taylor wants the Government to fund compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure, which he says requires considerable funding.
“There is widespread support within the road freight industry for the use of alternative fuels and technologies but presently the lack of refueling facilities reduces the viability for manufacturers to introduce vehicles that operate using these fuels,” he says.
Taylor points to Victoria and local governments as an example, which are funding hybrid technology initiatives and CNG infrastructure respectively.
As well as slashing emissions, Taylor says CNG also reduces harmful particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and nitrous oxide.
He says advancements continue to be made in bringing environmentally-friendly technologies to the market, but the Government needs to play an active role in offering incentives to encourage greater investment by manufacturers.