IT'S no secret that Australian cars are some of the most polluting in the OECD, due in large part to our continued use of dirty fuels. Our lack of fuel efficiency standards has made it difficult for car manufacturers to bring new, more efficient vehicle models into the country, including EVs.

That's why when Parliament next sits in September, I will move to bring fuel quality and vehicle emissions standards into line with international markets within two years. I am calling for legally binding vehicle and fuel efficiency standards, which will not only reduce our carbon emissions but also harmful pollutants like cancerous sulphur in the air.

As I said at the National Electric Vehicle Summit in Canberra today, these standards will be an important step towards our climate ambitions, contributing to the Australian Government's proposed target of 43% reduced emissions by 2030 and helping to get us on a trajectory to no new fossil fuel vehicles by 2035.

The time for climate action is now, and I believe we should be pulling all levers available to Government to ensure a rapid and efficient transition to a net zero economy.

Households also play an important role in our transition to net zero, and I was pleased to see so much enthusiasm this week for Rewiring Australia's pilot for full-suburb electrification. If you'd like to help see North Sydney become one of the first Net Zero Urban Energy Zones, you can register your interest here.