The Territory is to introduce a new vehicle registration system to judge vehicles by their emissions instead of their weight.
Announced by Chief Minister Andrew Barr, the Territory’s existing weight-based registration scheme imposes higher registration fees for heavier vehicles.
Mr Barr said this could penalise some heavier, but significantly lower emitting vehicles.
He said Government would gradually update the system, with the first stage to replace the existing weight-based schedule with an emissions-based one.
“For new and used ZEVs vehicles finishing the two-year free registration from 25 May 2023, they will transition to the lowest fee category, with the remainder of the light vehicle fleet transitioning from the current weight‐based system to an emissions‐based system on 1 July 2024,” Mr Barr said.
“Under the emissions-based registration scheme, Canberrans will be able to access lower fees for lower emissions across any motor type,” he said.
“From the commencement of the scheme, 96 per cent of all private passenger vehicles will pay the same or less registration.”
Mr Barr said the initiative also included 12‐months of registration discounts for new and used plug‐in hybrid (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) from 1 July.
He said the stamp duty waiver for passenger vehicles would also be extended from that date to include second‐hand PHEVs and HEVs (with tailpipe emissions less than 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre), for transfers of such vehicles.
“The Government will expand concessions for motor vehicle registration to include ACT Service Access card holders and Australian Low Income Health Care card holders,” the Chief Minister said.
“Eligible card holders will receive a 100 per cent concession on motor vehicle registration from 1 July 2023 onwards.”
