Kerry Bartlett (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. Would the minister update the House on the progress of the government’s alternative fuels initiatives?

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macquarie for his question and also for his strong support—in fact, his initiatives—in regard to alternative fuels. The member for Macquarie was one of the first promoters of the LPG subsidy scheme for conversion and I congratulate him on his very strong interest in that. The scheme was announced in August and already we have seen unprecedented interest in the LGP conversion scheme, with some 50,000 public inquiries on the AusIndustry hotline. I am pleased to report to this House that in the first five days since the beginning of processing of these claims we have seen 1,734 grants—worth some $3.2 million—paid out under the scheme. These cheques have been dispatched to motorists who have chosen the LPG alternative.

The ethanol infrastructure scheme, which was announced alongside the LPG scheme, has also been officially launched, with grants of up to $20,000 available to help service stations to install ethanol infrastructure as well as sell ethanol based fuel blends. Through these programs, our government is providing strong and consistent leadership on alternative fuels and we are seeing that the set target of 350 million litres of ethanol and biofuels is now well within our grasp. Already we have seen BP commit to deliver more than 400 megalitres of biofuels into the market annually by 2009. Australia’s alternative fuel industry is growing and providing real choice and real savings to Australian motorists.