DESPITE its cost to the economy, the Senate should pass the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) now the Government has delayed its start date by a year to July 2011, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) said today.
Chairman Trevor Martyn said the Government’s announcement today addressed the concerns held by the Opposition and some business groups about implementing the CPRS during a recession.
Martyn said the CPRS would enable Australia to meet the emissions target set by the Government.
The ATA said the scheme would cost the trucking industry hundreds of millions of dollars over time, which would be passed onto their customers, but that putting emissions trading in place over the next couple of years would be much less expensive and more certain than the likely alternative.
Martyn added if Australia does not make a start on emissions trading and the Government’s concerns about climate change are right, the industry could end up with even more expensive measures in five or ten years time.
This could include complex and prescriptive regulations about how companies can move freight, Martyn said.
As part of today’s announcement, the Government has allocated up to $200 million to its Climate Change Action Fund in 2009-10 to support businesses with significant energy costs to introduce energy efficiency measures.
The ATA said it will be working with the Government to make sure that trucking businesses can access this assistance.
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