Five Albury councillors sign letter urging government to overhaul EV policy

The statement, issued on Wednesday and endorsed by 120 local government officials, called on the Albanese government to introduce fuel-efficiency standards to bring more low- and zero-emissions vehicles into the country.

Albury mayor Kylie King and four councillors - deputy mayor Steve Bowen, Ashley Edwards, David Thurley, and Jessica Kellahan - were among the councillors to have signed the letter, just short of East Gippsland Council with six signatories.

The statement, issued yesterday and endorsed by 120 local government officials, called on the Albanese government to introduce fuel-efficiency standards to bring more low- and zero-emissions vehicles into the country.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The statement arrives just weeks before the May budget and months after the government received more than 500 submissions to its National Electric Vehicle Strategy paper.

Australia is among only a few major economies that do not have fuel-efficiency standards to help curb vehicle emissions.

In the statement, local government officials urged the government to introduce a standard that was mandatory, equivalent to those in other countries, that would encourage the import of more low and zero-emission vehicles, and that would be reviewed every five years.

Bendigo mayor Andrea Metcalf said a fuel-efficiency standard could help her Victorian community as it was struggling to meet its electric vehicle aims.

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: