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High Court Rules Against State Tax on Electric and Hybrid Vehicles

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Australian motorists cannot lawfully be taxed by states for driving electric and hybrid vehicles.

The High Court on Wednesday ruled on a case involving Victoria’s road user tax on low-emission vehicles, launched by two electric vehicle drivers in 2021.

The court found the Victorian government could not charge electric, hydrogen and plug-in hybrid vehicle owners – known as Zero and Low-Emission Vehicles (ZLEVs) – a fee for each kilometre they travel.

Rather the road user charge is a duty of excise that can only be imposed by the federal government.

“The ZLEV charge is, as its name suggests, a tax on ZLEVs. For that reason, it is a duty of excise,” the court found.

The outcome is expected to affect more than just Victorian drivers as attorneys-general for all states and territories intervened to argue for the right to tax road users and two states have announced plans to do so in 2027.

Victorian drivers Chris Vanderstock and Kath Davies launched the lawsuit shortly after the state government introduced its ZLEV road user charge.

The law charges electric and hydrogen vehicle owners 2.8 cents for each kilometre they travel during the year and plug-in hybrid vehicle owners 2.3 cents.

Hybrid vehicles are exempt.

Odometer Submission Requirement and Penalties

Motorists are required to submit photographs of their vehicle odometer to the state government each year and, if they fail to, can be charged for driving 13,500km or have their registration suspended or cancelled.

But lawyers for Mr Vanderstock and Ms Davies argued the road user charge was a consumption tax that replaced the federal fuel excise tax and, according to the constitution, could not be collected by state governments.

Ms Davies said in a statement she was thrilled by the judgment.

“Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world on electric vehicle uptake,” she said.

“Now is not the time to be taxing electric vehicles – it’s the time to be doing everything we can to encourage people to make the switch to cleaner cars.”

Equity Generation Lawyers senior associate David Hertzberg said it was a “landmark constitutional decision”.

“Today’s judgment means that Victoria’s electric vehicle tax is invalid. It also sets a precedent which will likely prevent other states from implementing similar legislation.”

While Victoria is the only state to charge low-emission vehicle owners so far, NSW and Western Australia have announced plans to introduce similar schemes in July 2027.

The High Court decision also comes weeks after Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass released a report into the state’s ZLEV scheme, saying those administering it were inflexible in dealing with complaints and driver penalties were not outlined in legislation.

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Travel

Visited App Reveals Top 25 Global Wonders Rankings

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The travel app Visited, which was developed by Arriving In High Heels Corporation, has published a list of the top 25 most visited World Wonders. World Wonders can be found around the world, and include natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon ranked 12th or man-made such as the Eiffel Tower which is the most visited wonder in the world. Big Ben is found in the 7th spot, while driving distance Stonehenge comes in the 18th spot, and the unique ride between England and France, the Channel Tunnel, comes in the 23rd spot. Europe, followed by the United States have the highest number of visited wonders, which is not surprising as they are high on every traveler’s wish list. While the majority of World Wonders are found in Europe, a few exceptions include: Sydney Opera House, Chichen Itza, Marrakesh and the Great Wall of China.

The top 5 most visited World Wonders include: the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, Venice, La Sagrada Familia, and the Empire State Building.

The list is based on over 2,000,000 users who are avid travelers, that use the travel app, Visited. The app allows users to mark off famous places based on travel lists including most visited beaches, churches, opera houses, golf destinations, cruise ports and others. Other features of the app include: personalized travel map of where you have been or wish to visit, and travel stats and itinerary which ranks your top destinations based on your bucket list.

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Live and Work on Mars? NASA’s Seeking Applicants

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or anyone who has ever dreamed of living on Mars, NASA is seeking potential “Martians” for a simulated mission to the red planet.
The space agency has put out a call for applicants to its second planned CHAPEA, or Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, mission, which will begin in the spring of 2025.
For one year, a volunteer crew made up of four people will live and work inside Mars Dune Alpha at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The 3D-printed habitat, spanning 158 square metres, is designed to resemble the living conditions of a crew of astronauts that will land on the Martian surface in the future.
Understanding how a crew reacts to the challenges of a deep space mission is essential for planning how astronauts will explore the red planet.
Inside Mars Dune Alpha, participants will grow crops, maintain their habitat, exercise, carry out robotic operations and go on simulated spacewalks. And they will face real issues such as equipment failure, communication delays, environmental stressors and dealing with limited resources.
The application process is now open and will close on April 2, according to the agency.

NASA’s crew criteria

The CHAPEA program is looking for nonsmoking, healthy US citizens between the ages of 30 and 55 years old who are proficient in the English language.
“Applicants should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding adventures and interest in contributing to NASA’s work to prepare for the first human journey to Mars,” according to the agency.
When it comes to selecting the CHAPEA crew, the agency has specific criteria in mind that aligns with how they select astronauts.
The Mars simulated crew members need a master’s degree in a STEM field, such as engineering, mathematics, or biological, computer or physical science, or a related requirement like a medical degree, and must be able to pass the astronaut physical test. They also need two years of professional experience within their chosen field or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time on a jet aircraft.
The selection process timeline could take up to 13 months, and finalists will need to undergo medical, psychological and psychiatric tests to make sure they are mentally and physically suited for such a long and isolating mission.
And be sure to read the fine print: Food allergies or certain medications could cause applicants to be disqualified. While being screened, candidates can find out how they will be compensated for their time if selected.

A series of Mars simulations

The first CHAPEA mission, which began on June 25, 2023, is set to conclude on July 6. The main goals of the first mission have been monitoring and assessing the health and performance of the crew as they live in a confined space while dealing with the anticipated challenges of life on Mars.
The crew includes research scientist Kelly Haston, structural engineer Ross Brockwell, emergency medicine physician Nathan Jones and microbiologist Anca Selariu.
So far during their time in isolation, the crew has harvested their first crops, including leafy greens, peppers and tomatoes, using an indoor home gardening system. The team has also gone on numerous simulated “Marswalks” in a 110-square-metre red sandbox designed to mimic what it might be like to go on excursions on the Martian surface. And the crew continues to carry out biological and physical experiments and investigations.
The lessons learned from the inaugural CHAPEA mission will help NASA fill knowledge gaps about how to make sure Martian crews are healthy and have adequate supplies and support while living millions of miles away from Earth. Three total CHAPEA missions are planned, and all have similar goals.
“The second mission will be pretty similar to the first mission with the same goals in order to gather additional data across participants,” Anna Schneider, public affairs officer at Johnson Space Center, said.
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Emirates Expands Services in Australia with Second Daily Flight to Perth

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Emirates will ramp up its operations in Australia by upgrading its second daily flight between Dubai and Brisbane to an A380 starting from October 1.

The airline will also add a second daily service between Dubai and Perth operated by a Boeing 777-300ER starting from 1 December.

From 1 October, Emirates’ second A380 flight EK430 to Brisbane will depart Dubai at 0230hrs, arriving in Brisbane at 2220hrs. Emirates’ return flight EK431 will depart Brisbane at 0155hrs, arriving in Dubai at 1005hrs. All times are local.

The additional flight to Perth will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER. Starting from 1 December, Emirates flight EK424 will depart from Dubai at 0915hrs and arrives in Perth at 0005hrs the following day. Emirates’ return flight EK425 will depart from Perth at 0600hrs and arrives in Dubai at 1310hrs. All times are local.

Barry Brown, divisional vice president Australasia at Emirates, said: “We’re pleased to offer more choice and opportunities for Australians traveling from Brisbane and Perth through the ramp up of our operations. It’s a demonstration of the importance of both gateways for tourism and trade, and Emirates’ commitment to ensure convenient schedules and comfortable connections to and through Dubai. Whether it’s the advantage of seamless afternoon connections from Dubai to a wealth of destinations across Europe on the second Perth flight, or a full A380 experience to and from Brisbane to close to 50 cities served by our flagship, we’re creating access to diverse opportunities for business, leisure, culture, and more.

“The ramp up is also a testament to our commitment in enhancing global connectivity to our Australian gateways and supporting tourism and trade growth opportunities.”

Gert-Jan de Graaff, Brisbane Airport chief executive officer, said: “The A380 will allow up to 100,000 extra passengers per year to travel between Queensland and Europe, which is Brisbane’s second busiest international destination. Now in its 21st year of serving Brisbane, Emirates is our number one mover of people to and from Europe.

“Importantly, Emirates stands out from the pack as the leading airline in over the bay operations, reducing noise impacts on the local community. More than two-thirds of all overnight Emirates flights have been over Moreton Bay during the period from July to December 2023. We congratulate Emirates on that performance and look forward to continued collaboration across all airlines.

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