Hundreds of illegal or potentially illegal e-bikes and e-scooters were purchased under a state government rebate scheme, a new audit has revealed.
The Queensland government on Sunday released the results of an internal audit into the scheme, which was announced by the former Labor government in September 2024.
It offered rebates of $500 for eligible e-bikes and $200 for eligible e-scooters, and set out eligibility requirements, including that devices could not travel faster than 25 kilometres per hour under operated power.
The rebate scheme was announced in September 2024 by then-transport minister Bart Mellish. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)
Funding for the scheme, which was announced by former transport minister Bart Mellish, was exhausted within a month.
Of a total 3,265 e-bikes funded by the scheme, 21 per cent, or 693, were illegal or potentially so, government figures showed.
E-bikes and e-scooters are illegal if they can travel over 25km/h unassisted or if the motor is larger than 250 watts.
Five bikes could not be tracked down and two were found not to have been e-bikes.
Meanwhile, 141 of a total 1,508 e-scooters subsidised by the scheme were found to be illegal.
‘Fuel to the fire’
Brent Mickelberg says Labor’s decision to implement an “ill-considered scheme” left it with “questions to answer”. (Supplied: Facebook)
Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said the rebate scheme had only served to add “fuel to the fire” of community concern about illegal e-mobility devices.
“Labor have questions to answer,” he said.
“[Why did] they allow such a ill-considered scheme to be rolled out?”
He called for Labor to take responsibility for the findings.
“It’s easy to pass the buck to public servants, but ultimately it’s the government that is responsible here,” Mr Mickelberg said.
Of 1,508 e-scooters subsidised by the scheme, 141were illegal. (ABC News: Claudia Williams)
However, Labor’s Shannon Fentiman hit back at Mr Mickelberg’s criticism, saying the scheme had been put in place with “strict guidelines” and the illegal devices should never have been approved for a rebate.
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“The use of government funds for illegal bikes and scooters is absolutely unacceptable,” she said.
“There are serious questions about how the Department of Transport … allowed these funds to be given for illegal bikes.”
Safety report due next month
Ms Fentiman accused Mr Mickelberg of “playing politics” with the issue, and called on the government to seize the illegal devices and fine people who had used the rebate for illegal e-bikes.
“The Minister must refer this matter immediately to ethical standards and/or the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC),” she said.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has been contacted for further comment.
The maximum speed for e-bikes and e-scooters in the rebate scheme was 25 km/h. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
The parliamentary inquiry into the use and safety of e-mobility devices is due to deliver its report by the end of next month.
Ms Fentiman on Sunday reiterated calls for the government to put in place interim safety measures to crack down on the use of illegal e-bikes.
Mr Mickelberg, however, said the government was instead taking a “calm and methodical” approach to the issue, by working through the inquiry process.
!['He was able to get … [a] bike, no money out of pocket'](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/e-bike-rebatesimage-recXGCriXQAmLnjP3-1-770x515.jpg "‘He was able to get … [a] bike, no money out of pocket’")