Thursday, 18 May 2023

Zero-emission buses

Sheena WATT (Northern Metropolitan) (15:47): (234) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty, Minister for Employment and Minister for Public Transport, the Honourable Ben Carroll in the other place. I hear from and meet with many members of my community in the Northern Metropolitan Region who are passionate about climate action, passionate about reducing emissions and passionate about less pollution, which is why I was excited to hear that the Andrews Labor government has announced that from 2025 every new bus on Victoria’s public transport network will have zero emissions. Electric buses – frankly, this is fantastic. And I was also pleased to note that the Andrews Labor government is already replacing the state’s diesel buses with electric and hydrogen ones, with our $20 million zero-emission bus trial. My question for Minister Carroll is to ask if he could update me on how commuters and residents in the Northern Metropolitan Region will benefit from the implementation of this policy, whether from job creation, reduced noise, reduced emissions or just making the planet a better place.