Corinne Mulholland (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sugar is more than just a crop in Queensland; it's part of our identity, part of our history, and for more than a century it has shaped the communities, the families and the towns in regional Queensland. But right now our cane growers are doing it tough. Global sugar prices are volatile, and the troughs are longer and harder for them to ride out. I'm pleased to see the sugar industry is leading the way in embracing sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, to safeguard the future of our growers and mills in Queensland. We're already seeing this in Bundaberg and Isis Central. Sugar mill waste is converted to sustainable aviation fuel and supplied to the Brisbane Airport. Qantas is aiming to use 10 per cent SAF in its total fuel mix by 2030.

I welcomed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's comments last week in the House. He acknowledged the need to improve Australia's self-sufficiency in liquid fuels. The logic is simple. We already grow the cane, and we already have the mills and the infrastructure in regional Queensland, so why would we keep exporting raw product overseas and losing the value-adding opportunities? Why not refine and manufacture those fuels here in Australia instead, which would create jobs, investment and a strong economic future for regional communities?

There is also a clear national security benefit. Given Australia imports more than 85 per cent of our aviation fuel, if we produced more renewable fuel here at home, we would become more self-reliant and less exposed to global supply shocks, and it would help bring back manufacturing to Queensland—something Labor doesn't just talk about; we actually do it. Supporting the sugar industry is not just about protecting a very proud Queensland crop. It's about backing regional communities, it's about building energy security and it's about bringing manufacturing back to Queensland. If we get those policy settings right, the future for regional Queensland is extremely sweet.