How is the Queensland Government making transport more sustainable?
The Queensland Government continues to roll out a range of initiatives as practical steps towards a sustainable transport system. These initiatives are guided by key whole-of-government strategic directions such as:
Toward Q2 – Tomorrow’s Queensland 
The Queensland Government has framed its 2020 vision for Queensland around five ambitions. These are ambitions for our whole state – for communities in every Queensland region. It is a state-wide plan for the future.
We want a Queensland that is:
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Strong — we want to create a diverse economy powered by bright ideas
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Green — we want to protect our lifestyle and environment
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Smart — we want to deliver world-class education and training
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Healthy — we want to make Queensland Australia’s healthiest people
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Fair — we want to support a safe and caring community.
For more information, visit the Toward Q2 website*.
ClimateQ – toward a greener Queensland 
The Queensland Government launched its revised climate change strategy ClimateQ: toward a greener Queensland in August 2009. ClimateQ sets out the next steps that will help Queensland transition to a lower carbon future. The following transport-related initiatives are contained within ClimateQ:
- Improved traffic flow for reduced emissions
- Vehicle Offsets Contribution Scheme
- TravelSmart Workplaces and Events
- TravelSmart Schools
- Faster, better, safer walking and cycling
- Public Transport Planning Tool
- Low emission bus trial
- Freight Smart (including Port of Brisbane Trial)
- Greening the taxi fleet
For more information on ClimateQ, visit the Office of Climate Change website*.
Regional Planning
The Queensland Government’s regional planning plays a key role in helping Queensland meet the challenges associated with rapid population growth, demographic changes, economic development, protecting the environment and infrastructure provision across multiple local government areas. It is focused on sustainable outcomes to deliver more sustainable communities across Queensland. For instance, the integrated regional transport plans develop and manage the transport system to support the region’s forecast population growth, employment, economic and social activities.
The Queensland Government continues to take practical steps towards a sustainable transport system. Government actions are based around four priority areas, including:
Integrated regional transport planning
The integrated regional transport planning framework is a guide for transport planning in Queensland. It sets out a collaborative, consistent and sustainable approach to transport planning to meet the future needs of Queensland communities. Plans developed under the framework include:
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Connecting SEQ 2031: An Integrated Regional Transport Plan for South East Queensland is a 22-year regional transport plan that serves the long-term needs of the people living, working, recreating and conducting business in south east Queensland, provides the transportation response to the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 and guides transport investment and policy towards a sustainable transport system
- The Far North Queensland Integrated Regional Transport Plan 2011-2031 will complement the statutory Far North Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 and provide a long-term plan for the region that reflects sustainable transport planning priorities.
Public transport systems and TravelSmart
The Queensland Government continues to develop an efficient, sustainable and flexible transport system, removing the barriers to access and mobility, and encouraging smarter travel choices. Examples include:
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Translink Transit Authority* provides a single point of contact for customer information, coordinates and integrates public transport services, delivers integrated ticketing options such as go card, and delivers and manages Queensland’s public transport infrastructure.
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qconnect is a government initiative providing improved public transport and greater connectivity and accessibility of services throughout regional, rural and remote Queensland.
- government’s TravelSmart team continues to work shoulder to shoulder with Queensland communities, schools, destinations, and workplaces, creating opportunities to shift to sustainable transport modes, such as public transport, walking and cycling.
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Taxi Subsidy Scheme aims to improve the mobility of persons with severe disabilities. The Government continues to offer concessions and discounts for the use of public transport that ensure a suitable level of access and mobility for many people who would otherwise be disadvantaged. The scheme is funded and administered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
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School Transport Assistance Scheme provides assistance to eligible students on rail, bus and ferry services and through payments of conveyance allowance to parents as a contribution towards the cost of transporting their children to and from school. It aims to help parents meet their legal obligation of ensuring their children are enrolled in and attending an approved educational facility.
Green driving
On 1 January 2008, the Queensland Government introduced a rating system for vehicle registration duty. Under the scheme, hybrid and electric vehicles are charged the lowest rate of duty, with the duty increasing in accordance with an increasing number of cylinders or rotors. For more information, visit the Office of State Revenue website*.
Green driving can also be achieved by applying ecodriving principles. Ecodriving aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by training drivers in efficient vehicle operation such as correcting tyre pressure, limiting idling, and smoothing acceleration and deceleration. International studies show that ecodriving produces a range of economic, environmental and safety benefits, such as:
- reduced fuel consumption
- reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- improved road safety, drivers using ecodriving techniques have fewer crashes and cause less wear-and-tear on their vehicles.
For more information, visit ‘How can Queenslanders make a contribution?’.
Active transport
The Queensland Government is committed to improving the accessibility of walking and cycling, and assisting Queenslanders to reduce emissions by leaving their car at home.
Walking brings people into the community for a wide range of reasons, be it travelling to work, school, visiting local facilities, getting to public transport or walking for fitness and recreation. It is one of the most social, accessible and sustainable modes of transport. Walking improves health and fitness, reduces traffic congestion, reduces air and noise pollution, and creates safer, more social and liveable communities.
Like walking, cycling has significant benefits for health and the environment as well as helping to connect communities. Cycling uses minimal fossil fuels and is a pollution-free mode of sustainable transport. For example: a person cycling 10km each way to work would save 1073kg of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
For more information, visit walking for transport and cycling in Queensland.
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