Low Impact

This is our second article in the “Using Less” series, this time on how you can use less petrol in your day-to-day life. The green benefits of using less fuel are obvious - every litre of petrol results in around 2.2 kilograms of CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere. There’s also an obvious benefit to your hip pocket - in fact, that benefit seems to get clearer every week as petrol prices keep rising and rising!

As is often the case, there isn’t too much in the way of rocket science here - we’ve just gathered together a few common-sense things that we can all do to reduce our petrol usage… Continue reading

The “hot topic” in the press in Australia at the moment has been centred on what action the Government should take on the current soaring petrol prices. With petrol prices recently rising from $1.30 a litre to over $1.60 in only a few weeks, many Australian families are spending more and more on the family car.

The Federal Government is setting up a FuelWatch scheme to encourage better competition and allow motorists to find the cheapest price. The Opposition is suggesting lowering the excise currently charged on petrol by 5c per litre. Unsurprisingly, each side of politics is quick to point out why their plan is superior!

While both options might offer some minor… Continue reading

Strange as it may sound, Australia’s current tax rules have the side effect of encouraging people to pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  The main culprit is Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) - a tax on benefits that an employer offers its employees, specifically the rules on company cars.

Consult an accountant for the details, but the following description should give you the idea.  Basically, FBT is designed to ensure that people don’t evade tax by having their employer provide something to them as part of a salary package (”Join us and we’ll pay you $40,000 a year, plus a new TV!”) - where an employer provides something that is of personal benefit to the employee, the… Continue reading