PREMIER SETS NEW GREEN TARGETS FOR QFLEET

With over half of QFleet’s passenger fleet now four-cylinder, Premier Peter Beattie has set further targets to help make QFleet the greenest of its kind in the country.

Mr Beattie said that within two years, major changes had been made within QFleet.

“At the end of July this year, 55 per cent of QFleet’s passenger fleet was comprised of four-cylinder cars. Just 2 years ago, over 60 per cent were six-cylinder,” Mr Beattie said.

“All Government Ministers’ vehicles have now been replaced with six-cylinder or hybrid vehicles.

“The Government’s decision to replace eight-cylinder passenger vehicles with six-cylinder, and encourage the uptake of four-cylinder vehicles will certainly make a long-term contribution to reducing carbon emissions from QFleet vehicles.

“However that’s not the end of it, and I have set a target to reduce the total number of six-cylinder passenger vehicles to 30 per cent of the total fleet by 2010.

“We will also work to double the number of hybrid vehicles – such as the Toyota Prius and the hybrid Honda Civic - to nearly 350 over the next three years.

“I want QFleet to be the greenest fleet in the country, and these targets I am putting in place will help make that happen,” he said.

Minister for Public Works Robert Schwarten also announced a target for QFleet to achieve a 50 per cent carbon offset by 2010 with a full 100 per cent carbon offset by 2020.

“One way QFleet achieves carbon offset is through its involvement with the national Greenfleet program, which plants trees to offset emissions,” Mr Schwarten said.

“Since 2002 more than 290,000 trees have been planted to offset car emissions.

“Funding of the offset program will be included in vehicles’ lease fees under a ‘polluter pays’ principle,” he said.

ENDS

Media: 3224 4500 (Premier’s Office) 3237 1184 (Minister Schwarten’s office)