Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Part of my role running through the Kimberley is working closely with communities throughout the Kimberley, as Senator O'Sullivan would know from my work and his work in Fitzroy Crossing. Fitzroy Crossing has two service stations: Ngiyali Roadhouse on your right-hand side as you're coming in, with BP fuel, owned by the Aboriginal corporation; and Coles Express at the other end, where the fuel comes from Viva. Ngiyali made the decision, working closely with Nindilingarri Cultural Health Services, to stop the sale of 95 unleaded petrol because unfortunately kids were breaking in. I have sat there and watched kids breaking into the pumps to get the fuel. It was very frustrating, because Viva Energy refused a community directive or community request to stop the sale of 95 to save these young kids.

I want to take this opportunity to thank a few people because now we've achieved it. We've worked closely with Anthony Collard and his mob at Nindilingarri; Senior Sergeant Larry Miller from the Fitzroy Crossing police station—Larry, thank you very much for working closely with us; and Victoria Bond from Coles Express. In a magnificent achievement, we've finally shamed Viva into stopping the sale of 95 unleaded. They wanted to use all sorts of different locks. They had all these grand plans about cages. They didn't want to take this product out of Fitzroy Crossing because of the odd tourist who comes through and wants to get 95. As you and I both know, Senator O'Sullivan, they can go to Willare or they can get it from Halls Creek.

Finally common sense prevailed, so congratulations to the Fitzroy community and congratulations Senior Sergeant Larry Miller on your fine work. I'm happy to report that now those bowsers have been removed. I must say, it is very, very comforting and very, very rewarding to know that I don't have to sit there with Larry anymore and look at footage of kids as young as 11 years of age breaking into these bowsers to desperately get their hands on 95 petrol to sniff and I don't have to say that the health consequences will follow. Congratulations to Fitzroy Crossing.