❓ A parliamentary question addresses the permitted level of MTBE in WA fuel, reasons for the limit, and potential relaxation of standards. The Minister acknowledges the question and provides information on the current limit, its origin, and potential exemptions to promote competition.
AnsweredQoN 472Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
With regard to the fuel additive methyl tertiary butyl ether, I ask - (1) What is the current maximum volume of MTBE by percentage allowed in Western Australian fuel products? (2) What reasons exist for maximum concentrations of the additive to be set at that figure? (3) Will the minister state whether the Government is considering relaxing the standards for MTBE in Western Australian fuel products? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(1) What is the current maximum volume of MTBE by percentage allowed in Western Australian fuel products? (2) What reasons exist for maximum concentrations of the additive to be set at that figure? (3) Will the minister state whether the Government is considering relaxing the standards for MTBE in Western Australian fuel products? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(2) What reasons exist for maximum concentrations of the additive to be set at that figure? (3) Will the minister state whether the Government is considering relaxing the standards for MTBE in Western Australian fuel products? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(3) Will the minister state whether the Government is considering relaxing the standards for MTBE in Western Australian fuel products? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(1) What is the current maximum volume of MTBE by percentage allowed in Western Australian fuel products? (2) What reasons exist for maximum concentrations of the additive to be set at that figure? (3) Will the minister state whether the Government is considering relaxing the standards for MTBE in Western Australian fuel products? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(2) What reasons exist for maximum concentrations of the additive to be set at that figure? (3) Will the minister state whether the Government is considering relaxing the standards for MTBE in Western Australian fuel products? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(3) Will the minister state whether the Government is considering relaxing the standards for MTBE in Western Australian fuel products? Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
Hon N.D. GRIFFITHS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(1) 0.1 per cent. (2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(2) The level was established by the Department of Environmental Protection during the term of the former Government. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection had some involvement in the process as a consumer representative on the working party established by the DEP, but was not directly involved in the process of establishing the MTBE level. (3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
(3) The Government has publicly stated that it is prepared to consider some limited exemptions from the current fuel standards to allow independents to import relatively small volumes of petrol products of a different standard into WA. This approach is in the interests of competition, as the BP Australia Ltd refinery at Kwinana has been the sole supplier of fuel in Western Australia since the introduction of the new fuel standards in WA, which disadvantages independent fuel retailers. This matter is still in the preliminary stages of investigation.
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