SHADOW minister for industry, resources and energy Adam Searle is determined to force the state government to release the findings of a report into the future of ethanol production in NSW.
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Mr Searle toured the Manildra plant in Bomaderry on Thursday to get a first-hand look at the operation.
He was joined by shadow minister for the Illawarra Ryan Park. The pair started campaigning for the release of the report last month.
The report by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) was completed in May and has not yet been made public.
The mandate requires ethanol to make up 6 per cent of the petrol sold in the state.
However, NSW ethanol sales were only at 2.79 per cent of total NSW petrol consumption.
“The ethanol mandate was Labor’s policy but we welcomed the fact the Coalition signed up to it,” Mr Searle said.
“But they’ve dropped the ball in government. Not in an open and honest way but in secret. Behind closed doors they’re throttling the life out of it and they’re not being honest with the community.”
Mr Searle said more exemptions were being granted than ever before. The government has had the IPART report for months and is refusing to disclose it to the community.
“The opposition has sought it through the GIPPA legislation and that has been blocked so far although we are negotiating on the release of some documents.
“The fact is, if the government doesn’t like the ethanol mandate, let’s have that debate.
“If they think there are problems with it, let’s put all the cards on the table and have a conversation with the industry and the community, not do special deals for the major petrol companies behind closed doors,” he said.
“By not enforcing the mandate the government is putting 400 jobs at Manildra at risk,” he said.
