All levels of government need to be committed to the development of an ethanol industry in order to make it happen, Premier and Minister for Trade Peter Beattie said today.

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Premier & Trade, Peter Beattie
prem...@cabinet.qld.gov.au
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14/07/04

On his departure on an overseas trade mission, Mr Beattie said it was absolutely vital to have a united front.

"That's why, during my appearance at the Estimates Committee hearing, I called on the Leader of the Opposition to join me in writing to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Federal Opposition to put our case for Queensland," Mr Beattie said.

"We need to try to get them to mandate 10 per cent nationally when it comes to ethanol.

"If ever we needed to work together--I say this to the Leader of the Opposition--it is on ethanol. I am prepared to write to the Prime Minister. I am prepared to sign a letter with the Leader of the Opposition and I am prepared to sign the same letter to the Federal Leader of the Opposition asking for a mandating of 10 per cent.

"I believe this is absolutely essential. This is about lives and jobs and opportunities for Queenslanders."

Mr Beattie said Queensland's sugar industry must diversify to survive and diversifying into ethanol offered tremendous potential benefits.

The Premier said he hoped Mr Springborg would treat this as a non-political request, as it was in the interests of helping a Queensland industry and the communities that relied on the industry.

During his trade mission earlier this year to Brazil, Mr Beattie and a delegation of Queensland sugar industry representatives saw how Brazilians had created a major ethanol industry.

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