Queensland has killed off the previous Labor state government’s mandate to replace all eligible government passenger cars with zero-emissions vehicles by December 2026.
In its place, the state’s Liberal National Party (LNP) government has released a new strategy that sets a smaller 10 per cent emissions reduction target across the entire public service fleet by 2030, rather than focusing on replacing individual vehicles with EVs.
The Sunshine State’s public works, housing and youth minister Sam O’Connor said the Queensland Government’s broader approach to cutting vehicle emissions across its entire fleet would have a bigger impact on total CO2 emissions and give public servants more freedom to purchase the type of QFleet vehicles they need.
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In a press release late last week, Mr O’Connor said Labor’s EV-only policy for eligible passenger vehicles only covered around 3600 vehicles across government, yet QFleet operates more than 11,000 vehicles as part of frontline services including nursing, housing, child safety and youth justice.
The Queensland Government said the updated policy, which allows for fit-for-purpose vehicles whether they are all-electric, hybrid or plug-in hybrid, will reduce emissions to their lowest ever levels while the public service fleet experiences unprecedented growth.
It says the new approach will also provide more time for agencies to install charging infrastructure while still delivering on a 10 per cent tailpipe emissions reduction target by 2030, which Mr O’Connor said will equate to 3.33 kilotonnes of CO2.
“This represents around 63 per cent reduction in emissions from what QFleet’s emissions were in 2005,” he said.
“We’re not here to tick boxes – we’re here to focus on outcomes.
“We’ve laid out a genuine pathway to reduce tailpipe emissions and better support the hardworking public servants who rely on QFleet to get them to where they need to be.”
As part of the Queensland government’s new QFleet Vehicle Emissions Reduction Strategy 2025-2030, there will be annual fleet reviews, improved journey planning and the use of lower-emissions E10 fuels, and each agency will be held accountable for reducing their emissions.
“Our new strategy moves beyond simply mandating one type of vehicle for procurement,” said Mr O’Connor.
“At the same time as our emissions will be decreasing, our fleet will see annual growth of around 1.5 per cent per year – equating to around 9 per cent growth over the period of the 10 per cent reduction in emissions.
“That means while our fleet will be larger than ever, our emissions will be lower than ever.
“Unlike the previous mandate, we’re reducing QFleet’s tailpipe emissions in a practical, sustainable way, which responds to feedback from public servants across Queensland.
“QFleet is leading by example to help Queensland achieve net zero.”
The Queensland Government’s move was swiftly welcomed by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which has been vocal in its criticism of EV mandates and the federal government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) in particular.
Echoing claims by Toyota that multiple powertrain electrification technologies – led by hybrids in its case – have a larger overall impact on total new-vehicle CO2 reduction than EVs, FCAI chief executive Tony Weber described the 2025-2030 QFleet emissions reduction plan as “a balanced and realistic approach to decarbonising the state’s transport fleet”.
“The Queensland Government has recognised that the best pathway for emissions reduction is to utilise a range of vehicle technologies rather than focusing solely on battery electric vehicles,” Mr Weber said.
“Since the introduction of the Commonwealth Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard earlier this year, we have more information and evidence regarding the challenges of shifting to a lower-emission fleet of vehicles on Australian roads.
“Right now, Australian consumers remain hesitant to the change even though more than 90 battery-electric vehicles are available.
“The Queensland Government has listened to its QFleet customers and recognised that it can provide more choice while still delivering meaningful emissions reductions.
“It reflects the real-world challenges of vehicle deployment and provides more time for development of the infrastructure needed to underpin long-term change.”
Queensland’s previous Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan 2022-2024 was just one part of the Zero Emission Vehicle strategy 2022-2032 announced by the former Labor state government in March 2022.
As part of its “commitment to support Queensland’s shift to zero net emissions by 2050”, the state’s 10-year emissions reduction strategy also called for 50 per cent of new passenger vehicle sales in the state to be zero-emissions by 2030, before moving to 100 per cent by 2036.
It also called for every new TransLink-funded bus added to the fleet to be a zero-emissions vehicle in South East Queensland by 2025, and across regional Queensland by 2030.
The Queensland LNP has repeatedly distanced itself from the previous Labor government’s ambitious climate policies since it came to power in October 2024.
Soon after he became premier, David Crisafulli announced the state would support the federal government’s 2050 net zero emissions plan but would reject set renewables targets by dropping requirements for milestones along the way.
The LNP also axed an “unviable” multi-billion-dollar pumped hydro project planned for Mackay, and cancelled the $1 billion Moonlight Wind Farm project, while opening more opportunities for gas and coal development in the northern state.
Queensland’s rollback of public service EV mandates comes after US President Donald Trump in January removed his predecessor’s mandate for half of all new-vehicle purchases to be EVs by 2030.
And just last week President Trump signed congressional resolutions overturning California’s ability to mandate EV sales and establish its emissions standards via a federal waiver, immediately halting the state’s 2035 ban on new combustion-powered vehicle sales.
In addition, California will be unable to enforce an increase in zero-emission heavy-duty truck sales, or a low-nitrogen oxide regulation for heavy-duty highway and off-road vehicles.
However, 17 other states accounting for 30 per cent of the US auto market have also adopted some or all of California’s stricter vehicle emissions standards, and many of them are joining the legal appeal flagged last month by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Apart from Queensland, several other Australian states also effectively have EV ‘road maps’, with the nation’s largest two by population – New South Wales and Victoria – both aiming for zero-emissions vehicles to account for at least 50 per cent of all new light vehicle sales in each state by 2030.
Australians bought a record 91,292 new EVs in 2024, accounting for 7.4 per cent of the 1.237 million new vehicles sold in this country last year.
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