Tony Crook (O'Connor, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Health. The implementation of low-aromatic fuels in remote communities of Australia as a tool to combat the petrol sniffing epidemic is vitally important. A report from the Department of Health and Ageing in 2008 found a 70 per cent drop in the occurrence of petrol sniffing when low-aromatic fuel was made available. Whilst I acknowledge that implementation of low-aromatic fuels is only part of the solution, could the minister please advise the House of the progress that has been made in relation to the rollout of Opal fuel to the northern goldfields of Western Australia, the Central Desert and the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in an effort to curb the alarming occurrence of petrol sniffing?

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. I know he shares the concern with many members in this chamber of the scourge of petrol sniffing on Aboriginal communities across this country and the dramatic impact it has on young people in particular. My own involvement with this terrible issue goes back three decades, when I was involved in helping to set up a petrol-sniffing program in the Central Desert lands of Pitjantjatjara country in 1980 and 1981. So I share his concern and understand the dramatic implications of petrol sniffing.

I informed the House when the member last asked me a question that the Commonwealth had committed $84 million to the rollout of Opal over the next four years. I indicated then that we had problems in rolling it out in the goldfields region because of infrastructure issues. I am pleased to be able to advise the House that, after consultation with BP Australia, those infrastructure issues have been overcome and that, as of 21 March, a communication strategy was entered into in the goldfields region to inform people about the arrival of Opal and that Opal would start to be delivered in the goldfields as at 31 March. It will be rolled out progressively over two months, and I expect that we will see many of the petrol stations in the region delivering Opal to consumers over that period.

I say to the member that, since we last spoke about this, BP has had Opal independently tested and evaluated by, I think, Orbital in Western Australia. Their conclusion is that this fuel is as good if not better than other unleaded fuels. There will be no harm to small boat motors, to lawnmowers or to cars as a result of the use of this fuel, and those people in the community who are concerned about its impact upon their vehicles ought to understand that this is a very good fuel that will not harm their vehicles. I know that the member is aware that there are some sceptics and deniers in his own community around the issue of Opal. They exist in the Northern Territory as well. I say to them: get your head out of the sand, get with the game and buy Opal.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—As the minister originally responsible for the introduction of Opal, I would like to associate myself with the excellent question from the member for O’Connor and with the answer from the minister and to suggest to the Prime Minister that I am very happy to offer bipartisanship in increasing Aboriginal dysfunction—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.