Environmental criteria

These criteria are designed to ensure that diesel vehicles are not likely to be high polluters.

If you operate a diesel motor vehicle with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) greater than 4.5 tonnes other than:

1. a farm vehicle used primarily on an agricultural property in carrying out primary production business, or
    
2. a vehicle that is not used on a public road

it must meet one of the environmental criteria.

The environmental criteria specify that the vehicle must either:

• be manufactured on or after 1 January 1996, or
   
• be registered in an audited maintenance programme that is accredited by the Transport Secretary, or
   
• meet Rule 147A of the Australian Vehicle Standards Rules 1999 (the 'DT80' test), or
   
• comply with a maintenance schedule endorsed by the Transport Secretary.

For more information about the environmental criteria, visit the Guidelines for Environmental Criteria - Fuel Tax Credit for Heavy Diesel Vehicles on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website or phone the Tax Office's publications and ordering service on 1300 720 092 to order Fuel Tax Credit for Heavy Diesel Vehicles: Guidelines for Satisfying Environmental Criteria (DOTARS/050054).