Opposition fuel rebate plan panned - Chamber of Minerals and Energy

THE Chamber of Minerals and Energy has panned the Federal Opposition’s proposal to fund a higher education policy through wholesale cuts to the Diesel Fuel Rebate Scheme.

CME chief executive Tim Shanahan said industry was disappointed to learn of the Opposition’s plan to trade off the diesel scheme in a bid to win support for a higher education policy.

"The Diesel Fuel Rebate Scheme is an administrative arrangement to rebate taxes that should not have been paid in the first place," he said.

"It is a rebate for excise paid by mining and primary industries in advance, where fuel is used for off-road applications such as power generation and mineral processing.

"The WA mining sector would be bitterly disappointed if the Opposition elected to dismantle a cornerstone energy program such as the rebate scheme.

"The significance of this rebate cannot be understated for the ongoing development of our industry, particularly in remote areas of WA where there is no other source of fuel such as natural gas or grid electricity."