Nick Xenophon’s rejection of the FuelWatch scheme could put the measure on the fast track to a quiet death in the upper parliament, as the Independent senator’s support - along with the cooperation of Family First’s Steve Fielding and the Green Party - had been considered essential to secure the bill’s passage.

London today acknowledged that its groundbreaking congestion charge, in place since 2003, has been a failure. Traffic levels in London are the same today as they were five years ago when the city’s controversial congestion-charge (c-charge) was first introduced. This has prompted officials to admit that the scheme is a failure as it has not significantly reduced traffic levels or journey times as promised.

Motorists unhappy with their speeding violations can now double-check the accuracy of speed cameras online, obviating the need for expensive and time-consuming Freedom of Information (FoI) requests. The change is designed to save both drivers and the government time and money associated with procuring the reports, replacing it instead with a certificate of accuracy and online verification.

Although it’s not currently subject to the same excise tax as petrol, LPG will be protected from price rises after the implementation of the new Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and its accompanying emissions trading scheme (ETS). The announcement was made by Climate Change Minister Penny Wong to allay fears that users of the less emissions-intensive fuel may not be compensated because of LPG's different tax structure to petrol.