Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to inform the parliament of the work of the LNG Marine Fuel Institute in promoting the transition of the maritime industry to the use of low-emission liquefied natural gas as a marine and transport fuel.

The objective is to replace the use of heavy fuel oil as the primary fuel for maritime shipping with more environmentally friendly LNG, which is produced abundantly in Western Australia's north-west. By promoting and facilitating the use of LNG as a marine transportation fuel, the federal government can partner with industry to help grow Australia's economy and create jobs whilst reducing pollution and emissions on a large scale.

In 2016 the International Maritime Organisation made a decision to enforce the global reduction of sulphur emissions to 0.5 per cent by 1 January 2020. This deadline is fast approaching. One ultra-large container ship emits more sulphur in one day of steaming than over 50 million cars do in a year.

The barriers preventing the transition from heavy fuel oils to LNG include a lack of appropriate infrastructure, such as bunkering facilities, and a lack of an appropriate policy framework. It should be a priority for the Commonwealth to implement an emissions control area covering all Australian ports, as has already been done in the USA, Canada, the North Sea and the Baltic.