Govt considers extending non-sniff fuel program

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott says the Government will consider a proposal to introduce the new Opal fuel, a low aromatic petrol developed by BP, right across central Australia.

The Federal Government is subsiding 35 remote Indigenous communities to use the fuel, which cannot be used by petrol sniffers to get high.

But the Tangentyere Council in Alice Springs says that will not solve the problem of black market petrol, and says the fuel should be rolled out to all areas from Port Augusta to Katherine, and across to Laverton in Western Australia.

Mr Abbott says Opal will first be used in communities to replace AVGAS, and the Government will then consider extending the program.

"The first priority is to get unsniffable petrol in that community, and then let's think about where else it might need to try to ensure there is no recidivism," he said.

The Northern Territory Government has also requested an extension of the program, saying urban centres like Alice Springs need access to the new fuel.

The Community Services Minister, Marion Scrymgour, says a lot of people in remote communities travel to urban centres where they should be able to buy the fuel.

"If that availability isn't in Alice Springs or Tennant and some of the places where we've got these hot spots of sniffing, it won't be able to make the strategies as effective as what we'd like to see it done," she said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 18th February 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Website: http://www.abc.net.au
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Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation