Every time I drive through cane country, I’m reminded that those green paddocks grow more than sugar. They grow energy, jobs and opportunity. The potential has been staring us in the face for years – the question is whether we’re finally ready grab it.
The Federal Government’s recently announced $1.1 billion Cleaner Fuels Program shows there’s an appetite for change.
That kind of investment sends a clear message that Australia is serious about renewable fuels. But money on the table is only half the story.
For projects to get moving, we need firm policy settings – rules that don’t shift with the wind and long-term commitments that give investors confidence.
That’s the case CANEGROWERS has been putting to the State Parliamentary Inquiry into Biofuels and the Sugarcane Industry over recent weeks.
We’ve already fronted regional hearings in Mackay and Townsville to explain how mills, growers and regional communities are ready to deliver if given the right framework.
Without things like enforceable fuel mandates and guaranteed offtake agreements, projects risk stalling before they even get off the ground. And when that happens, overseas producers happily step in and take the opportunity instead.
What’s at stake here isn’t just about fuels. It’s about the life of our regions. Upgrading mills, building turbines, constructing new facilities – all of that means jobs in towns that have too often watched opportunities drift away.
Reliable renewable power feeding into the grid means farms and small businesses can get on with the job without worrying about blackouts. And it means young people in our districts can see a future here, not just somewhere down the highway.
Next month in Brisbane, CANEGROWERS will again make the case for Queensland cane to be at the centre of a biofuels boom.
Ethanol from juice and molasses, sustainable aviation fuel through new pathways, renewable electricity from bagasse – these are practical, ready-to-go options. What’s missing is the green light.
It’s time to turn good intentions into real projects. Back what we grow, set the rules, and watch Queensland’s cane fields fuel a cleaner, stronger future for everyone.
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