Missing the bus on green public transport

Australia's transition to environmentally friendly public transport is making gains but is still in the slow lane compared to efforts worldwide, according to a new report.

Analysis from the NSW Transport and Infrastructure Committee probed Australia's transition to battery and hydrogen-fuelled public transport options, including buses, ferries and trains.

And while it found efforts had been made to begin the transition to new fuels, infrastructure and carbon reductions, it made 12 recommendations to accelerate progress.

The report comes just two weeks after the Climate Council's Clean Transport Race study identified significant disparities between state and territory commitments to greener public transport.

NSW Transport and Infrastructure Committee chair Tim James said the report, which considered 29 submissions, was done in May to identify "specific challenges" to adopting zero-emission modes of public transport.

"While the sector has already taken considerable strides – for example, in rolling out new electric buses and offsetting rail emissions – stakeholders highlighted opportunities to make this transition smoother, to improve our readiness for new, zero-emission technologies and to increase the competitiveness of our local industry," he said.

"Our report's 12 recommendations aim to achieve these goals by giving manufacturers certainty when it comes to procurement, building skills capacity, laying the groundwork for emerging technologies and promoting public transport uptake."

The report identified progress in adopting zero-emission buses in NSW, with 120 on roads, but found their adoption would need to ramp up to match progress overseas.

"In an international context, we are lagging behind many cities in Europe and Asia," the report said.

It also found electric buses were "more practical" than hydrogen-fuelled alternatives "in the short-term" and recommended a review of bus specifications, greater support for local manufacturers and building a skilled workforce to build and manage electric bus fleets.

The NSW government has committed to replacing its 8000 buses with zero-emission models between 2035 and 2047.

Swapping diesel-fuelled ferries with electric or hydrogen alternatives would present "significant technological and operational challenges" though, the committee found, because their development was "changing almost daily".

Birdon managing director Terri Benson told the Committee no country had "fully electrified their (ferry) fleets" yet, even though the technology could cut costs by as much as 70 per cent.

Other recommendations from the report included a new strategy for adopting zero-emission ferries, a medium-term strategy for hydrogen-powered rail and targets to increase the use of public transport over the next decade.

NSW is one of four states and territories to commit to electric bus targets, with the ACT planning to transition its entire fleet by 2040 and Victoria and Queensland committing to new electric bus purchases from 2025 and 2030 respectively.

Climate Council advocacy head Dr Jennifer Rayner said while the transition to electrified bus fleets could take time, it was a move supported by most Australians.

The Council's recent national survey found 80 per cent of Australians supported greater investments in public transport, she said, and 70 per cent wanted entire bus fleets to be electrified "as soon as possible".