In a paper pushed out on Tuesday, the Turnbull Government has outlined a proposal to ban Australia‘s most popular type of fuel within two years, which could lead to price hikes but would also be substantially better for health and the environment.
Regular old unleaded petrol is by far Australia’s most popular kind of petrol – at least since Howard phased out leaded fuel. You look at the premium unleaded for about half a second before your brain processes that it costs about ten cents more so you immediately revert to regular unleaded. Everyone does this.
Australia has the lowest quality petrol of any nation in the OECD, and the government thinks that phasing out regular unleaded and limiting sulphur content in premium unleaded will result in marked improvements to the environment and public health.
Similar standards are already in place across Europe. NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury told Fairfax that such regulatory burden isn’t necessary in this country.
“If you go down the path of phasing out regular unleaded you would be exposing motorists to even more rorts than we are now,” he said. “Premium unleaded already costs 21 cents more than ethanol – imagine what could happen if we adopt European standards.”
Regular unleaded is currently used by around 80% of motorists outside New South Wales. Due to NSW’s compulsory ethanol mandate, it’s a little different – regular unleaded only accounts for around 30% round those parts.
The government offered four options – one of which is business as usual – with the most radical being a total ban on unleaded petrol within two years. Other options involved a tightening of standards and stricter controls on the sulphur content in
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: The Simpsons.
