Council plugs in to potential move to electric vehicles

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has sparked a potential move towards electric and hydrogen vehicles and rolling out more electric charging infrastructure in the region. At its December Ordinary Meeting, Council agreed to attend an information session on the potential transitioning of the organisation’s fleet to more environmentally sustainable vehicles. TRC Water and Waste Committee Chair Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff tabled the motion and said Council would consider opportunities and the costs involved. “This transition would have touch points in so many areas of Council business from economic development and the environment to planning and tourism. There are a number of aspects to consider and starting that process now is prudent planning,” Cr Vonhoff said. In October 2021, the New South Wales Government passed the NSW Electric Vehicle Strategy in Parliament. Similarly, the Queensland Government has recently closed the public consultation period and will soon table the Queensland Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Strategy. Both New South Wales and Queensland believe local governments play important roles in executing transition strategies because Council fleets turn over quickly and help supply a second-hand market. Ford and General Motors have announced that they will end production of internal combustion engines by 2040 along with Volkswagen and Kia, while Subaru, Toyota and Mazda are investing in Research and Development for synthetic fuels and hydrogen. Cr Vonhoff said phase three of Queensland’s Electric Super Highway was set to commence shortly and it was important for the Toowoomba Region to be on the map. “Putting the Toowoomba Region on the Electric Super Highway map will result in economic development and tourism attraction and help to position us as a destination for renewable energy.” TRC Infrastructure Committee Chair Cr Carol Taylor said Council was committed to innovation and environmental sustainability. “There is much progress being made globally in the development of electric and alternative fuel vehicles such as hydrogen,” Cr Taylor said. “In Europe alone there are more than 190 electric-vehicle variants and in China over 300. These countries are world leaders in this space, but we too are an innovative and progressive Region. “We need to be ready for the future and the time to have the conversation is now.”