18 December 2007
The Hon Peter Garrett MP
Minister for Environment, Heritage and The Arts
Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett, today welcomed a Federal Court order restraining a fuel supplier from selling petrol containing more than 10 per cent ethanol.
“The quality of fuel sold in Australia is regulated under the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 and this injunction on Green Fuel Park Pty Ltd will help to ensure the fuel supplied to motorists is of an appropriate standard,” Mr Garrett said.
“This is the first use of this power since the Act was put in place.
“Fuel quality standards are important for protecting the environment, and for safeguarding consumers as well. Modern vehicles require fuels that meet high quality standards and they can be damaged by inferior products,” Mr Garrett said.
The Court order, made on 3 December 2007, will be in place until December 2012. The Court also ordered that Green Fuel Park Pty Ltd pay costs of $11,000.
Under the Fuel Quality Standards Act, the permissible level of ethanol in petrol is 10 per cent and all petrol pumps dispensing petrol containing ethanol must clearly display the percentage of ethanol in the fuel.
The Australian Government runs a national fuel sampling program to monitor the quality of fuel sold in Australia. Fuels are sampled throughout the supply chain, including at service stations.
Suppliers of non-compliant fuel may be prosecuted and/or required by court injunction to stop selling sub-standard fuel. Earlier this year, a company was convicted of three breaches of the Fuel Quality Standards Act and fined $150 000.
Media contact: Margot Marshall on (02) 6277 7640 or 0418 624 84.
For information on the Fuel Standards Act 2000 please visit: