A new study revealing that Australia's trucks and buses impose a hidden avoidable health bill of more than $6.2 billion every year shows urgent government action is needed to accelerate zero-emission transport and scale uptake of electric trucks, vans and buses, according to the Electric Vehicle Council.
Public health has been the "missing part of the equation" in Australia's heavy vehicle laws for decades, according to the University of Melbourne's new expert position statement released today. Pollution from trucks and buses is contributing to premature deaths, heart disease, childhood asthma and lung cancer. These costs affect everyone - whether you use the roads or not - and are largely invisible in current transport policy.
Heavy vehicles (those over 4.5 tonnes) produce around a quarter of on-road transport emissions and are a major source of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), a pollutant strongly linked to cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Even at Australia's relatively low average pollution levels, chronic exposure is associated with asthma, heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and premature death. There is no safe threshold.
The EVC's Senior Policy Officer for Heavy Vehicles, Cameron Rimington, says the findings add new impetus for drastic action to switch to cleaner freight vehicles.
"We've always known that burning diesel and breathing what comes out of the tailpipe is bad for us. This new research shows us just how bad. Switching to cleaner, electric options is not some distant climate policy out on the never-never; it's a public health priority right now."
"This research makes clear that continuing to rely on diesel trucks and buses is costing Australians dearly - in hospital admissions, chronic disease and premature deaths. This research puts a dollar figure on the damage - $6.2 billion every year. That's a cost Australians are paying whether they drive or not."
"Currently, there is very little support to help Australian drivers to shift away from diesel. India and New Zealand offer more incentives to help their truckies go electric than Australia does. They understand that heavy EVs aren't just about reduced operating costs for drivers - the rest of society also benefits from less pollution, better air quality and reduced health costs."
The EVC is also advocating for the establishment of Australia's first low-emission "Clean Air Zone". Mr Rimington says such policies have been hugely successful overseas by gradually limiting access for the most polluting vehicles in dense population centres.
"In Melbourne's inner west, where truck volumes are especially high, hundreds of excess childhood asthma cases are estimated to be linked to heavy vehicle pollution. Clean Air Zones should be the top of the agenda for all state and local governments who care about the air we breathe."
You can access the full report, The Unpriced Burden: Heavy vehicle emissions and the $6.2 billion health cost, here.
