As part of its commitment to reduce light vehicle emissions, the ACT Government will gradually transition from the current weight-based vehicle registration system to an emissions-based system, and will expand motor vehicle registration concessions to include ACT Service Access card holders and Australian Low Income Health Care card holders, Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Shane Rattenbury, ACT Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, announced today.
Eligible card holders will receive a 100 per cent concession on motor vehicle registration from 1 July onwards.
New and used ZEVs vehicles whose two-year free registration ends on 25 May will transition to the lowest fee category. The remainder of the light vehicle fleet will transition from the current weight‐based system to an emissions‐based system on 1 July 2024.
The existing weight-based registration scheme imposes higher registration fees for heavier vehicles, which can penalise some heavier, but significantly lower emitting vehicles.
Transport currently makes up more than 60 per cent of ACT emissions; private vehicle use accounts for about 70 per cent of transport emissions.
Under the emissions-based registration scheme, Canberrans will be able to access lower fees for lower emissions across any motor type. Once the scheme begins, 96 per cent of all private passenger vehicles will pay the same or less registration.
This initiative also includes 12 months of registration discounts for new and used plug‐in hybrid (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), beginning on 1 July.
The Government will extend the stamp duty waiver for passenger vehicles to include second‐hand PHEVs and HEVs (whose tailpipes emit fewer than 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre), for transfers of such vehicles from 1 July.
Over four years, the first stage of the transition – including the changes to registration fees, stamp duty, and concessions – will save motorists $6.6 million.
Registrations for zero emissions vehicles doubled between 2021 and 2022, Mr Rattenbury said. 9.5 per cent of all new cars purchased in the ACT in 2022 were electric vehicles.
