Three "green site" topics are converging on tradies: electric utes and vans are finally getting usable, the tax incentives around them are shifting, and commercial sites increasingly demand noise and sustainability compliance. Here is where each stands. (Vehicle specs and incentive figures date fast — treat as indicative 2025-26 and confirm current.)
Electric utes and vans — finally tradie-viable
2025-26 is the first year EV utes are genuinely workable for trades, though options and towing still trail diesel:
- Utes: the LDV eT60 (on sale, ~330km, lower payload and towing); the Isuzu D-MAX EV (~2026, aiming for 300km+, over 1000kg payload and 3500kg braked towing to match the diesel); the value JAC T9; and the BYD Shark — a PHEV, not a full EV (~80km electric then petrol, 3.5t towing).
- Vans: the LDV eDeliver 9 and Ford E-Transit (280-350km, 1000kg+ payload) suit metro service work — many fleets mix EV vans for the city with PHEV or diesel utes for heavy towing and regional.
The tax incentives (shifting)
- FBT EV exemption (federal): a qualifying electric car provided to an employee (including a director) attracts no FBT — if it is zero or low-emissions, was first held and used on or after 1 July 2022, and has never attracted Luxury Car Tax. It extends to running costs (rego, insurance, charging). The big change: from 1 April 2025, PHEVs cease to qualify — so the BYD Shark will not get the FBT exemption on new deals after that.
- Luxury Car Tax thresholds: EVs get a higher LCT threshold — indicatively ~$91,387 (low-emissions) vs ~$80,567 (others), indexed annually — and staying under it preserves the FBT exemption.
- State incentives: the big early rebates have scaled back — NSW and VIC ended free rego and stamp-duty exemptions on 30 June 2024, shifting to emissions-based rego and road-user charges. Some states still offer discounted rego, modest stamp-duty concessions or charging grants.
- Tradie levers: an FBT-free novated lease on an eligible BEV ute or van, plus depreciation and the instant asset write-off (separate federal tax — see Tax Deductions for Tradies). PHEVs remain tax-effective workhorses but lost the flagship FBT exemption after April 2025.
Site noise and working hours
- AS 2436:2010 is the guide to noise and vibration control on construction sites — it is a method, not a set of dB limits, that EPAs reference for predicting and controlling noise.
- Standard hours commonly converge on Mon-Sat 7am-7pm for noisy work, with NSW tighter (typically 7am-6pm weekdays, 8am to 1-5pm Saturdays, no noisy work Sundays or public holidays without approval); WA's Regulation 13 sets 7am-7pm non-Sunday/PH.
- Out-of-hours or very noisy work needs you to demonstrate it must be out-of-hours, prepare a Noise Management Plan, and notify nearby occupants in writing at least 24 hours ahead.
- Reasonable and practicable measures: position noisy plant away from boundaries, delay the loudest work until after 9am, shut down idling plant, and maintain mufflers. On the ground: assume noisy work 7am to 6-7pm Mon-Sat, expect NMP conditions on inner-city jobs, and know that repeated breaches delay works and payment.
Green Star and NABERS on commercial sites
Two ratings drive "green site" obligations:
- NABERS rates operational performance (energy, water, waste) 1-6 stars on 12 months of verified data — and it is effectively mandatory for large commercial offices (all office space over 2,000 m² must hold a rating). New Commonwealth office leases over 1,000 m² must hold ≥5.5-star NABERS Energy from July 2025, rising to 6.0-star and all-electric from July 2026.
- Green Star (Green Building Council of Australia) rates design and construction holistically and is frequently specified in tenders ("target 5 Star Green Star").
What that means for tradies on a green site:
- Segregated waste (timber/metal/plasterboard/concrete/general) with minimum recycling rates — one mixed skip loses points.
- Material restrictions — low-VOC paints, adhesives and sealants, certified timber, limits on PVC and refrigerants.
- Documentation — product datasheets, FSC/PEFC timber certs, EPDs and chain-of-custody.
- Energy — electric over diesel plant, limit idling, sub-meter temporary power.
- IEQ — dust extraction, restrictions on cutting and grinding inside occupied buildings.
Non-compliance (a non-approved product, a mixed-waste skip) jeopardises the rating target and brings back-charges or rework. The flip side: being "EV-ready" with low-emissions plant and a documented environmental management system is a competitive tender advantage, especially for government and blue-chip clients.
Common mistakes
- Buying a PHEV ute expecting the FBT exemption after April 2025 (it is gone).
- Assuming the old state EV rebates still apply (NSW/VIC ended them mid-2024).
- Noisy work on a Sunday or before 7am without approval and an NMP.
- A mixed-waste skip or a non-approved product on a Green Star site (lost points, back-charges).
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