Ethanol needs full commitment

The State Government should support jobs and industry in Queensland by fully embracing biofuels with a phased-in mandate for ethanol fuel.There is no point in beating around the bush on this issue because a half-hearted approach will achieve nothing.A proper ethanol mandate for the Mackay region would ensure the ongoing viability of Sarina’s ethanol plant and it may also pave the way for future investment in ethanol production by Mackay Sugar.In the Burdekin, Austcane Pty Ltd has a substantial amount of work already done on the establishment of a mill that produces only ethanol and this will provide jobs as well as give local growers a supply option other than the existing Wilmar monopoly.I would like to see the State Government bringing in a phased-in mandate where the Government would require fuel retailers to have a certain percentage of ethanol in their overall fuel mix and this percentage ramping up over time.If their plan is simply requiring the service station to have a bowser selling E10, it would be a missed opportunity.Such a wishy-washy approach would see E10 bowsers tucked down the back as an after-thought because the oil companies would make less money out of an E10 blend.Mr Christensen said properly mandated ethanol in Queensland would be advantageous for a number of reasons.Ethanol is a renewable resource that is proven to have a lower particulate matter output, which is why groups like the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America support the use of ethanol fuels.Secondly, we have a problem in the country with fuel security and the more we can look at domestic production of fuel sources the better.Thirdly, for motorists feeling the pinch of high fuel prices, an ethanol blend is actually a cheaper fuel.