Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ellison) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to petrol sniffing.

At the time I thanked the minister for outlining how the Opal non-sniffable fuel plan is being rolled out in the region. As the Senate inquiry into petrol sniffing pointed out, it is very important that the non-sniffable Opal fuel plan is rolled out across the entire region if we are to deal with the scourge of petrol sniffing. As the minister outlined, this is starting to prove successful. Unfortunately, we are starting to hear worrying reports that a number of petrol stations or roadhouses in the identified region of the eight-point plan are continuing to sell sniffable unleaded fuel. If there is a source of sniffable fuel in the region it will undermine and undercut the rollout of the non-sniffable fuel plan. This is why it is very important for the government to have an understanding of where sniffable fuel is still being sold in the region. It must have a strategy to deal with it, because the whole system will be undermined if sniffable fuel is available in this region.

Along with these worrying reports that roadhouses are continuing to stock sniffable fuel were reports of petrol sniffing from Ti Tree earlier in the year. This is a classic example of what I have been talking about—that is, if the fuel is available, people will access it and, therefore, rolling out Opal fuel will not accomplish its aims. It is very important that the government follow up on these roadhouses and ascertain whether they are selling sniffable fuel. If they are, it should require them to stock only Opal fuel, because that is a key component in the success of this plan.

The Senate inquiry recommended in its unanimous report that putting in non-sniffable fuel buys time to put in other strategies that keep people, kids, permanently off sniffing fuel. In other words, you need non-sniffable fuel and then you implement diversionary and other health programs to help the people who have been affected by sniffing fuel to recover. I urge the government to investigate the claims that there are at least three roadhouses in the region that are still supplying sniffable fuel. It has been reported that they are actively undermining the rollout of the program by saying or implying that Opal fuel damages cars. This is a continuation of the undermining of the program that occurred in Alice Springs. The government eventually acted on what was happening in Alice Springs and rolled out a quite comprehensive media awareness program that assured consumers and buyers of petrol that Opal fuel did not damage cars. The Automobile Association has proved that it does not damage cars. But, as I understand it, there are still some rumours circulating in the region that it does.

This issue is particularly important at the moment because the next phase of the eight-point plan and the rolling out of Opal fuel will be in Tennant Creek. If what we are hearing on the ground is true—that the Ti Tree roadhouse is still stocking sniffable fuel—it is occurring on the road north to Tennant Creek. It is vitally important that the whole region has Opal fuel, non-sniffable fuel, otherwise you undermine the rolling out of Opal fuel into Tennant Creek. It is critically important for the success of the whole plan that the roadhouses that are continuing to stock sniffable fuel are identified and required to stock non-sniffable fuel. The next component of the plan will also be undermined if this is not dealt with now. I urge the government to continue its good work on petrol sniffing and to ensure that it solves the problem once and for all. We do not want to see such a good program undermined because some roadhouses are not doing the right thing and are not stocking non-sniffable Opal fuel.

Question agreed to.