THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is developing a scheme to help build a greener, more efficient car industry in Australia.
First announced by Prime Minister Rudd in November last year, the Automotive Transformation Scheme replaces the Howard Government’s Automotive Competitiveness and Investment Scheme (ACIS), bringing a greater focus to innovation, with increased Federal support for research and development.
The scheme will cost $3.4 billion, and forms the centrepiece of the Rudd Government’s $6.2 billion new car plan.
"Stimulating additional R&D, a major contributor to innovation, will improve productivity and build competitive advantage," Small Business Minister Craig Emerson said.
"The new scheme also requires participants to demonstrate a commitment to improving environmental outcomes.
"This will lead to the development of vehicles with lower fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions."
The Automotive Transformation Scheme will run from 2011 to 2020.
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Given that any notion of a local car industry is owned by overseas interests, this is tax-payer money down the toilet.
Will…….at least this will keep local jobs and sell locally produced cars. Ford has been in australia for 80 or something years so it has done alot for Australians and hopefully will continue to do so.
We may as well be keeping our own employed in the local industry than buying a product 100% made overseas .
This is nothing compared to what the Japanese Government gave Toyota to create a Hybrid ! Let alone Toyota Australia taking its handout from the Government for a car they were already creating !
In the end, it is still up to the consumers to patronize the green cars. If you keep building them when no one wants to buy them anymore, then it would just defeat its purpose.