Australia’s failure to join the electric vehicle revolution has dire implications for the economy, jobs, public health and reducing carbon pollution, a Senate Committee hearing into electric vehicles heard today.

“We know that the electric vehicle revolution is inevitable and is already happening around the world,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson and committee member.

A senate inquiry chaired by Greens Senator Janet Rice has found that infrastructure such as transport, housing, electricity and water at major risk from sea level rise and extreme temperatures.

“Most Australians live along the coast, and we’re staring down the barrel of sea level rise of 1.1 metres by 2100 and some 250,000 existing homes at risk of inundation,” said Senator Rice, Chair of the Environment and Communications References Committee.

The Greens are calling on the Turnbull Government to legislate stringent vehicle emissions standards before the next election, or see Australia become a global dumping ground for polluting, inefficient cars.

“Reports today indicate that there is pressure ramping up from multinational vehicle manufacturers who don’t want these standards. The Government keeps pushing out the deadline for action on emissions standards, begging the question of who is actually writing their policy,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.

The Coalition and Labor have voted against a Greens amendment to a heavy vehicle regulation bill in the senate today that would have lead to reduced pollution, greenhouse gases and fuel consumption of  trucks.

“Australia is trailing the world when comes to reducing vehicle pollution. Almost 20% of Australia’s carbon pollution comes from transport and that percentage is rising rapidly,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport spokesperson.

The Budget that was trumpeted as a big infrastructure investment is nothing more than a cash splash for private toll road operators and has nowhere near enough investment in the public transport that will unclog our cities and bring down pollution, say the Greens.

“Less than $1 in every $5 is going to public transport from the Government’s infrastructure grants,” said Senator Janet Rice, Australian Greens transport & infrastructure spokesperson.

The Queensland Greens are today cautiously welcoming of the announcement by Federal Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, of funding for the delivery and operation of Cross River Rail.

“Public transport is a basic service, but in Queensland it’s too often expensive, slow and unreliable. In the regions it’s often non-existent, says Queensland Greens Senator and Candidate for Brisbane, Andrew Bartlett.

“This forces more people to drive, makes traffic worse, parking harder, causes more pollution, increases stress and costs us money.

Greens transport spokesperson, Victorian Senator Janet Rice, says that Malcolm Turnbull’s pledge for Melbourne Airport Rail is a welcome turnaround by the federal government after years of inaction on public transport.

“Melbourne has been crying out for a rail link to the airport for decades, so it’s a welcome step for the federal government to finally commit real funding to this vital public transport service.”

Responding to Infrastructure Australia’s latest priority list release, the Greens say that transport infrastructure decisions and funding must prioritise public transport if we are to unclog our cities and reduce pollution in the long term.

“Infrastructure Australia has included a number of public transport priorities on their priority list, and governments must get those congestion-busting projects moving before turning our cities into a tangled mess of freeways,” said Senator Janet Rice, federal Greens transport spokesperson.