Green Car Innovation Fund: Government asks for help

Senator Kim Carr has issued an open invitation for members of the public to provide feedback on the Federal Government’s Green Car Innovation Fund.

A series of consultation sessions will be run around the country between February 2-10 in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Members of the public can book tickets either through the AusIndustry hotline on 13 28 46 or online at http://www.ausindustry.gov.au. The Minister’s office is also accepting written submissions until February 12 via GCIF@innovation.gov.au.

Carr (pictured) believes it is important to get as much feedback as possible to help the Government decide the best way of helping the Australian automotive industry remain viable in the long-term with more environmentally friendly vehicles.

"The focus of these sessions will be on the Green Car Innovation Fund Framework Paper, which I released in December," Senator Carr said on his website.

"The Framework Paper outlines how we propose to implement and operate the fund, and we are keen to hear people’s views on these proposals.

"This fund is a critical part of the Rudd Government's $6.2 billion New Car Plan for a Greener Future, which is designed to make the automotive industry more economically and environmentally sustainable by 2020.

"The consultations, like the car plan itself, are about working in partnership with industry to ensure we have a modern automotive sector, providing high-skill, high-wage jobs for the future.

"Feedback from the consultation sessions, combined with feedback from the written submissions I called for in December, will inform the finalisation of the program guidelines for the fund."