“Calwell is an electorate that is heavily reliant on Australia’s automotive industry for local jobs, and on the health of Australia’s manufacturing sector in general” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Over the last decade, Australia’s car industry has largely been left to fend for itself against an increasingly competitive global market.”
“In 2006, sales of Australian cars slumped by almost 20 percent according to figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, with imported cars claiming an ever larger share of the Australian car market.”
“The net result has been a steady stream of job losses in our area. Somewhere in the vicinity of 1000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Calwell in the last six months alone.”
“Two things are certain. The first is that Australia’s car industry needs help. The second is that this help must come in the form of long term solutions that enable our car industry to adapt to a rapidly changing market, and to produce the sort of cars that consumers are now buying.”
“Consumers are switching to smaller, more economical cars. They are also more conscious of the dangers associated with global warming. To reverse the crisis facing our local car industry, we need to invest in research and development and to produce Australian made cars that run on cheaper and cleaner alternative fuel supplies.”
“This is precisely what Federal Labor has in mind with its new $500 million “Green Car Innovation Fund,” which is designed to generate $2 billion in investment to secure jobs in the automotive industry and to simultaneously tackle climate change by manufacturing low emission vehicles in Australia.”
“The potential benefits of this initiative for our local economy are enormous” Ms Vamvakinou said.
Under Federal Labor’s new plan, industry will be asked to match a $500 million government contribution on a one-to-three dollar basis.
The $500 million Green Car Innovation Fund will flow over a five year period from 2011.
“The Green Car Innovation Fund is a long-term plan designed to secure jobs and protect the environment” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Australia simply can’t afford any more short-term fixes in its car industry. It’s time for new ideas and a new direction.”
“There is no reason why we can’t link the challenge of tackling climate change with the need to protect jobs in our local car manufacturing industry” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Producing Australian cars that are both energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, means producing the sort of cars that consumers are now interested in buying”
“We must act on climate change, and we must secure jobs in the car industry” Ms Vamvakinou said.
The fund will boost industry research on fuel efficiency and vehicle manufacture to:
· Slash our dangerous carbon emissions; · Promote the development of low emission vehicles such as hybrid, flexible fuel and low emission diesel vehicles; and · Ensure Australia plays a leading role in the global development of green car technology.
The Commonwealth’s investment in the Green Car Partnership will be conditional on the achievement of solid commercial and environmental outcomes. Commonwealth investment will be conditional on these targets being met.
Australians should have the opportunity to buy Australian-made green cars.
The Green Car Innovation Fund complements Federal Labor’s Green Car Challenge in March – where we pledged to purchase for the Commonwealth fleet value-for-money environmentally friendly vehicles, such as hybrid vehicles, if they were produced in Australia.
Road vehicles contribute 13 per cent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
While standard Australian manufactured vehicles produce around 250 grams of carbon dioxide a kilometre, low emission vehicles produced overseas generate half that.
Australia currently does not produce hybrid, flexible fuel or low emission diesel vehicles. However, imports of such cars are increasing, with sales of hybrid vehicle imports, for example, doubling to 3,200 in 2006.
Australians are demanding greater fuel efficiency in their cars and this partnership with the car industry means that we can, through research and technology, meet these demands.
The automotive industry has been a driving force in cutting edge research and development and innovation since the first Holden rolled off the production line in 1948.
The automotive sector plays an important role in the national economy.
It is central to our exports and to the economies of Victoria and South Australia.
New investment is now required to assist the auto industry to maintain its cutting-edge role, and reduce carbon emissions at the same time.
The Green Car Innovation Fund is another chapter in Federal Labor’s comprehensive approach to dealing with climate change, which includes:
· Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol; · Cutting Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050; · Setting up a national emission trading scheme; · Setting up the $500 million national clean coal fund; · Substantially increasing the mandatory renewable energy target; and · Convening a National Climate Change Summit.
Contact: Alex Kouttab 0417 541 465
