Back to diesel: LNP dumps Queensland’s electric bus program

The Crisafulli government has turned its back on environmentally friendly buses, with plans to procure a new fleet of more than 600 diesel-powered vehicles to roll out across Queensland.

Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg announced up to 630 new buses would hit the state’s roads, the first of which would be delivered in the 2027-28 financial year.

All the buses would be diesel, Mickelberg said, closing the door on zero-emissions technology.

“When we came to government, we inherited a thought bubble from Labor in the form of their zero-emissions bus program,” he said.

“Under Labor’s policy, all buses from January 1, 2025, were to be electric zero-emissions buses. However, they’ve done none of the work to upgrade the depots, none of the work in relation to securing appropriate charging infrastructure and sites.”

Speaking at Transdev’s Capalaba depot on Tuesday morning, Mickelberg would not put a price tag on the purchase – a common approach by the Crisafulli government, ostensibly to encourage competition in the market.

“We want to ensure that we drive the best value for money for the taxpayer,” he said.

“Suffice to say, this program will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but we want to ensure that we get the most competitive bids possible, so we won’t be foreshadowing the funding allocation until we’ve awarded the contracts.”

While weighting would be given to local providers, there was no guarantee from Mickelberg that all the buses would be built in Queensland.

“We’ve received feedback from industry that the quantum of buses that we are seeking probably exceeds capacity here in Queensland, but we want to see as many buses built locally as possible,” he said.

Mickelberg said the buses would feature Euro 6 diesel technology – the strictest international emissions standard for diesel engines, mandating advanced exhaust technology to significantly reduce, but not eliminate, harmful air pollutants.

Labor opposition spokeswoman Meaghan Scanlon said the LNP’s pursuit of new diesel buses would take Queensland backwards.

“This rollout will deliver buses that are louder, dirtier and outdated – and the complete opposite of every other state in the country,” she said.

Scanlon also shut down the suggestion that electric buses were more expensive, particularly over their long-term service life.