Fed: No mandatory ethanol: Macfarlane

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2006
Fed: No mandatory ethanol: Macfarlane

CANBERRA, Aug 20 AAP - The federal government will not oblige fuel wholesalers to include
ethanol in their petrol, says Industry and Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie last week pledged to make it mandatory that all fuel
produced and wholesaled in the state contained five per cent ethanol by 2010.

He foreshadowed moving to 10 per cent ethanol after 2010.

But he said the move would proceed only with the success of a federal government trial
of ethanol-blended fuel in 16 types of cars, due to be completed in December.

However, Mr Macfarlane said today the federal government preferred to give petrol users
the choice.

"Moving to mandating removes the opportunity for people to choose whether or not they
use the fuel and I think that's important," Mr Macfarlane told the Nine Network.

"Secondly, there are vehicles at this stage based on the manufacturers' position that
aren't suitable to run on E10 (ethanol-blended fuel)."

AAP shh/sd

KEYWORD: PETROL MACFARLANE

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