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Thursday, 3 November 2011
Page: 8239

Senator MILNE (Tasmania—Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens) (19:24): I am interested in the issue of algae because, like Senator Heffernan, people have drawn to my attention the potential to capture carbon dioxide from coal-fired power and convert it into algae and then on into fuel and so on. So I went up to the University of Newcastle to have a look at the specific research in question. Whilst it is achievable in a test tube and it is quite achievable in the volumes that you can generate in a lab, the issue is volume. When you put to them the question of what area you would need in order to convert large volumes, it becomes a completely unviable proposition at that scale. I put to the researchers there that, whilst it is achievable in the lab, when you look at the volume of carbon dioxide emissions and the area you would need in order to create the ponds for the algae you just get into some massive logistical problems. They acknowledged that they do not have a solution to the issue of scale. That is the point. If there is a breakthrough to the contrary in the future, it will be one of a suite of options in the whole field of being able to deal with it. But at the moment the issue of scale is, I understand, not one that can be overcome.

I also want to take this opportunity to ask if Senator Heffernan intends to move an amendment to the legislation that would remove the support currently given to the Australian car industry, so that you get competitive neutrality with rail. Or, does he intend to move to apply the carbon price to petrol in order to remove that inequity, because clearly the carbon price is coming in and, if you want to remove the inequity, that is what you would do. I just wondered if the coalition intends to move an amendment to take away the subsidies to the car industry or to impose a carbon price on petrol.