NSW Liberal Leader Peter Debnam and NSW Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner today announced they would convene a roundtable to promote the use of ethanol in NSW as a way of reducing costs for motorists, cutting emissions of harmful pollutants, and provide a long overdue boost to the agricultural sector.
"Andrew Stoner and I have invited to the roundtable oil companies, ethanol producers, NRMA, scientists, the AMA (NSW), NSW Farmers Association, the Total Environment Centre, and service station organisations," Mr Debnam said.
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"We will discuss the promotion of ethanol and the potential for mandating the use of 10% ethanol in petrol and also promoting the use of biofuels in diesel in heavy vehicles," he said.
"In addition to being a cheaper alternative, ethanol is a cleaner fuel dramatically cutting down on harmful emissions.
"Over the years, the State Government has failed to meet air pollution targets in the metropolitan area. Embracing the ethanol alternative provides a real solution to meeting air quality targets by reducing motor vehicle emissions.
"As the AMA has noted, commuters braving the M5 East Tunnel every day would be better off because of the lower emissions from ethanol-blended fuel.
"After visiting the Manildra plant in Nowra, I filled my car with a 10% ethanol blend and then decided to convert it to run on 85% ethanol," Mr Debnam said.
Mr Stoner also said his car currently runs on 10% ethanol and he plans to convert to the higher blend as soon as possible.
"Greater use of ethanol-blended fuel would provide a more secure income for our farmers, decrease our reliance on imported petroleum products, result in lower fuel prices for motorists, create jobs in regional areas and reduce cancer-causing pollution," Mr Stoner said.
Mr Stoner said the Liberal/Nationals would:
• Peter Debnam and I will promote ethanol-blended fuel through its use in our cars;
• Convene an industry roundtable to discuss the benefits of biofuels on 20 July 2006;
• Consider the potential to mandate ethanol in petrol;
• Work with farmers to promote production of agricultural commodities for use in ethanol and biofuels; and
• Consider industry support to expand ethanol production in regional NSW;
"Increased ethanol production and use would help regional development and improve air quality," Mr Stoner said.
NSW Liberal Leader Peter Debnam and NSW Leader of The Nationals Andrew Stoner today hosted a productive discussion on the benefits of ethanol in NSW as a way of reducing costs for motorists, cutting emissions of harmful pollutants and providing a boost to the agricultural sector.
Mr Debnam, who recently converted his car to 85% ethanol, told the roundtable that if elected in March 2007, the NSW Liberal/Nationals will be seeking a dramatic increase in ethanol production and use as part of the state's fuel mix.
"We will mandate ethanol use if necessary to achieve a dramatic increase in ethanol use," he said.
"Andrew Stoner and I thank all the participants for their invaluable input. We will now use that input and another roundtable in about a month as the basis for the Liberal/Nationals biofuel policy," he said.
"As the AMA has noted, motorists braving the M5 East Tunnel every day would be better off because of the lower emissions from ethanol-blended fuel."
Mr Stoner said greater use of ethanol-blended fuel and biodiesel would provide a more secure income for our farmers, decrease our reliance on imported petroleum products, result in lower fuel prices for motorists, create jobs in regional areas and reduce cancer-causing pollution.
"Over the years, the State Labor Government has failed to meet air pollution targets in the metropolitan area. Embracing the ethanol alternative provides a real solution to meeting air quality targets by reducing motor vehicle emissions," said Mr Stoner, who is also Shadow Minster for Roads.
Mr Debnam and Mr Stoner will consider the following policy initiatives:
• Incentives to increase ethanol and biofuel production
o Incentives for production facilities
• Incentives to increase ethanol distribution
o Incentives for cleaning storage tanks
o Incentives for cost of conversion to ethanol
o Incentives for blending and distribution facilities
o Target of service stations with the capacity to supply E85 by 2010
• Incentives to increase demand for ethanol
o Mandate E10
o Incentives to use/convert to E10
o Incentives to use/convert to E15
o Incentives to convert to E85
o Motor vehicle registration concessions
• Promotion of ethanol
o Appoint and ethanol ambassador
o Marketing campaign
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