{"id":"BILL-QLD-5292","name":"Liquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026","slug":"liquid-fuel-supply-ethanol-and-other-biofuels-mandate-amendment-bill-2026","collection":"bill","jurisdiction":"qld","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":"2026-01-01","administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":451234,"registerId":"BILL-QLD-5292:current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-01-01","status":"in_force","reasons":null,"registeredAt":"2026-05-13T08:46:09.768Z"},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"retrieval-0001","sectionType":"document_chunk","heading":"Document excerpt 1","content":"# Liquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026\n\nQueensland\nLiquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol\nand Other Biofuels Mandate)\nAmendment Bill 2026\n\nQueensland\nLiquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other\nBiofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026\nContents\nPage\n1 Short title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4\n2 Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4\n3 Act amended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4\n4 Amendment of s 35A (Application of div 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4\n5 Amendment of s 35B (Sustainable biobased petrol requirement) 4\n6 Amendment of s 35C (Sustainable biobased diesel requirement) 5\n7 Insertion of new pt 5A, div 1, sdiv 2A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5\nSubdivision 2A Other requirements for sale of petrol-biobased petrol\nblends or diesel-biobased diesel blends\n35DA Definitions for subdivision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5\n35DB Biobased petrol content in petrol-biobased petrol blends 6\n35DC Biobased diesel content in diesel-biobased diesel blends 6\n35DD Defence for offence against s 35DB or 35DC . . . . . . 6\n35DE Display of octane rating for E10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7\n8 Amendment of sch 1 (Dictionary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8\n\n2026\nA Bill\nfor\nAn Act to amend the Liquid Fuel Supply Act 1984 for particular\npurposes\n\n[s 1]\nLiquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026\nPage 4\nAuthorised by the Parliamentary Counsel\nThe Parliament of Queensland enacts—\n1 Short title\nThis Act may be cited as the Liquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and\nOther Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Act 2026.\n2 Commencement\nThis Act commences on the day that is 1 year after the date of\nassent.\n3 Act amended\nThis Act amends the Liquid Fuel Supply Act 1984.\n4 Amendment of s 35A (Application of div 1)\n(1) Section 35A(2), from ‘of—’—\nomit, insert—\nof petrol fuel or diesel fuel by a fuel wholesaler to\nanother fuel wholesaler.\n(2) Section 35A(3) and (5)—\nomit.\n(3) Section 35A(4)—\nrenumber as section 35A(3).\n5 Amendment of s 35B (Sustainable biobased petrol\nrequirement)\n(1) Section 35B(2), penalty—\nomit, insert—\nMaximum penalty—\n(a) for a first offence—400 penalty units; or\n1\nClause 2\n3\n4\nClause 5\n6\n7\nClause 8\n9\nClause 10\n11\n12\n13\n14\n15\n16\n17\n18\nClause 19\n20\n21\n22\n23\n24\n\n[s 6]\nLiquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026\nPage 5\nAuthorised by the Parliamentary Counsel\n(b) for a second or later offence—4,000 penalty\nunits.\n(2) Section 35B(3), definition minimum amount, paragraph (b)—\nomit.\n(3) Section 35B(3), definition minimum amount, paragraph (c)—\nrenumber as paragraph (b).\n6 Amendment of s 35C (Sustainable biobased diesel\nrequirement)\nSection 35C(2), penalty—\nomit, insert—\nMaximum penalty—\n(a) for a first offence—400 penalty units; or\n(b) for a second or later offence—4,000 penalty\nunits.\n7 Insertion of new pt 5A, div 1, sdiv 2A\nPart 5A, division 1—\ninsert—\nSubdivision 2A Other requirements for\nsale of petrol-biobased\npetrol blends or\ndiesel-biobased diesel\nblends\n35DA Definitions for subdivision\nIn this subdivision—\n% v/v means per cent volume by volume.\nE10 means a petrol-biobased petrol blend that is\nsold, marketed or represented as ‘E10’.\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\nClause 7\n8\n9\n10\n11\n12\n13\n14\nClause 15\n16\n17\n18\n19\n20\n21\n22\n23\n24\n25\n26\n27\n\n[s 7]\nLiquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026\nPage 6\nAuthorised by the Parliamentary Counsel\n35DB Biobased petrol content in petrol-biobased\npetrol blends\nA fuel seller must not sell a petrol-biobased petrol\nblend unless the percentage of biobased petrol in\nthe blend is at least—\n(a) for E10—9% v/v; or\n(b) for another petrol-biobased petrol\nblend—1% v/v.\nMaximum penalty—\n(a) for a first offence—400 penalty units; or\n(b) for a second or later offence—4,000 penalty\nunits.\n35DC Biobased diesel content in diesel-biobased\ndiesel blends\nA fuel seller must not sell a diesel-biobased diesel\nblend unless the percentage of biobased diesel in\nthe blend is at least 2% v/v.\nMaximum penalty—\n(a) for a first offence—400 penalty units; or\n(b) for a second or later offence—4,000 penalty\nunits.\n35DD Defence for offence against s 35DB or 35DC\n(1) In a proceeding for an offence against section\n35DB or 35DC (the relevant section), it is a\ndefence for the person charged with the offence to\nprove that the person took all reasonable steps to\nprevent the offence.\n(2) When deciding whether the person took all\nreasonable steps to prevent the offence, the court\nmay consider the following—\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n9\n10\n11\n12\n13\n14\n15\n16\n17\n18\n19\n20\n21\n22\n23\n24\n25\n26\n27\n28\n29\n30\n\n[s 7]\nLiquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026\nPage 7\nAuthorised by the Parliamentary Counsel\n(a) any system the person established and\nmaintained to ensure the person was\ncomplying with the relevant section;\n(b) any training the person required their\nemployees to undertake to ensure the person\nwas complying with the relevant section;\n(c) any testing the person carried out to assess\nwhether the person was complying with the\nrelevant section;\n(d) any records the person kept to demonstrate\nthe person was complying with the relevant\nsection.\n35DE Display of octane rating for E10\n(1) A fuel retailer must not sell E10 unless the fuel\nretailer displays the octane rating for the E10 in\nthe way stated in subsection (2).\nMaximum penalty—\n(a) for a first offence—400 penalty units; or\n(b) for a second or later offence—4,000 penalty\nunits.\n(2) For each E10 fuel pump, the octane rating for the\nE10 must be displayed in 1 or more places on the\nfuel pump in a way that is likely to be seen by—\n(a) a person approaching the fuel pump in a\nvehicle; and\n(b) a person dispensing fuel from the fuel\npump.\n(3) In this section—\nE10 fuel pump means a fuel pump, at a service\nstation, that is used by the fuel retailer mentioned\nin subsection (1) to sell E10 to the public, whether\nor not the pump is also used for another purpose.\noctane rating, for E10, means the research octane\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n9\n10\n11\n12\n13\n14\n15\n16\n17\n18\n19\n20\n21\n22\n23\n24\n25\n26\n27\n28\n29\n30\n31\n32\n33\n\n[s 8]\nLiquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026\nPage 8\nAuthorised by the Parliamentary Counsel\nnumber for the E10, rounded down to the next\nwhole number.\n8 Amendment of sch 1 (Dictionary)\nSchedule 1—\ninsert—\n% v/v, for part 5A, division 1, subdivision 2A, see\nsection 35DA.\nE10, for part 5A, division 1, subdivision 2A, see\nsection 35DA.\n1\n2\nClause 3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n9","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"summary":{"status_summary":"The Liquid Fuel Supply (Ethanol and Other Biofuels Mandate) Amendment Bill 2026 has been introduced in the Queensland Legislative Assembly and is currently at the committee stage for public inquiry and review.","complexity_score":5,"likely_questions":["What is the current dollar value of a penalty unit in Queensland and how does that translate to the fines proposed?","Does the Bill apply to all fuel sellers, including those selling only small volumes or in remote areas?","How will the biobased content of blends be tested and enforced, and who bears the testing cost?","Are there any exemptions for emergency supplies, aviation fuel, or specialised industrial fuels?","How does this state mandate interact with the Commonwealth's existing biofuels targets or any national fuel standards?"],"complexity_factors":["New mandatory minimum biobased content for petrol and diesel blends with escalating penalties","Introduction of a 'reasonable steps' defence that shifts burden of proof to the seller","Display requirements for octane rating on E10 pumps","Removal of existing exemptions or definitions without explanation in the bill text","Significant increase in maximum penalties (10x for subsequent offences)"],"plain_english_summary":"This Bill tightens Queensland’s biofuel rules by imposing minimum volumetric content for petrol and diesel blends (including a 9% floor for E10), requires E10 pumps to display research octane numbers, and sharply raises penalties for non‑compliance. \n\nIt affects fuel wholesalers, sellers and retailers who must test, record and train to meet the new standards, faces higher legal and compliance costs, and — if passed — would take effect one year after assent."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Yes. The Bill expands the compliance footprint beyond the Act’s existing wholesale-focused rules to impose direct obligations on fuel sellers and retailers for the sale of petrol- and diesel-biobased blends (new ss 35DB–35DE). It also sharpens enforcement by substantially increasing maximum penalties for first and repeat offences (s 35B, s 35C amendments) and by adding labelling and blend‑percentage mandates at retail. These additions take the Act from primarily regulating sustainable biofuel requirements (as previously framed) toward a more prescriptive, retail-facing mandate with specific numerical minimums, labelling duties and a formalised defence framework (cl 7, new subdivision 2A)."},"complexity_factors":["Adds a new subdivision with five new sections (ss 35DA–35DE) addressing definitions, minimum blend percentages, a statutory defence and labelling obligations","Multiple amendments to existing provisions: s 35A (structure change/renumbering and removal of subsections), s 35B and s 35C (penalty regime changes) and Schedule 1 (dictionary)","Penalty regime introduces tiered fines (first offence and second or later offence) across multiple sections — consistent amounts but replicated in several places","Introduces a non‑trivial statutory defence (‘all reasonable steps’) with a non-exhaustive list of factors for judicial consideration (systems, training, testing, records)","Definitions are limited (two new defined terms: % v/v and E10) but cross-reference with existing Act provisions","Requires operational details (display obligations for each E10 pump) that may interact with existing retail fuel infrastructure (multi-product pumps)","Commencement is delayed by a year, creating a transitional window and potential implementation timing issues"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this Bill changes, in plain language**\n\n- It amends the Liquid Fuel Supply Act 1984 and starts one year after assent (cl 2).\n\n- It narrows/clarifies where an existing provision applies to wholesale-to-wholesale sales (amendment to s 35A) and removes some subsections of that provision (cl 4).\n\n- It increases the maximum penalties for failing to meet the existing sustainable biobased petrol and diesel requirements (amendments to s 35B and s 35C). Each scheme now carries:\n  - 400 penalty units for a first offence; and\n  - 4,000 penalty units for a second or later offence. (cl 5(1), cl 6)\n\n- It inserts a new set of rules specifically about petrol and diesel blends sold at retail (new subdivision 2A, cl 7). The new rules do four main things:\n  1. Define two short terms used in the subdivision: “% v/v” (per cent volume by volume) and “E10” (any petrol-biobased petrol blend sold, marketed or represented as ‘E10’) (s 35DA).\n  2. Require that fuel sellers must not sell a petrol-biobased petrol blend unless the blend contains at least:\n     - 9% v/v biobased petrol for E10; or\n     - 1% v/v biobased petrol for any other petrol-biobased petrol blend. (s 35DB)\n     Non-compliance attracts the same penalty scale above (400/4,000 penalty units).\n  3. Require that fuel sellers must not sell a diesel-biobased diesel blend unless it contains at least 2% v/v biobased diesel. (s 35DC) Same penalty scale applies.\n  4. Provide a statutory defence for a person charged with breaching the blend-percentage rules if they can prove they “took all reasonable steps” to prevent the offence. The court may consider systems, training, testing and records when deciding whether the defence applies. (s 35DD)\n  5. Require fuel retailers to display the E10 octane rating at each E10 pump in places likely to be seen by someone approaching the pump and by someone dispensing fuel. The octane rating must be shown as the research octane number for the E10, rounded down to the next whole number. (s 35DE)\n\n- The Bill also updates the dictionary/schedule to include the new short forms (cl 8).\n\n**Who this affects and how**\n\n- Fuel wholesalers: the amendment to s 35A adjusts which wholesale sales provisions apply to them (cl 4). The Bill also keeps the broader wholesale obligations in place, but clarifies application to wholesaler-to-wholesaler transactions.\n\n- Fuel sellers and retailers (including service stations): the new subdivision creates direct obligations on sellers/retailers to ensure minimum percentages of biobased petrol/diesel in blends (ss 35DB–35DC) and to display E10 octane ratings at pumps (s 35DE). Those entities will need procurement, testing and labelling processes.\n\n- Biofuel producers and suppliers: the blend minimums create a predictable minimum demand floor for ethanol/biobased diesel if retailers and wholesalers comply.\n\n- Consumers: will see octane information on E10 pumps and may face indirect effects if suppliers pass compliance costs through to prices.\n\n- Courts and regulators: will enforce the new requirements and assess the “all reasonable steps” defence in prosecutions (s 35DD).\n\n**Why it matters (mechanisms and likely effects)**\n\n- The Bill converts minimum blend expectations into explicit, enforceable numerical requirements for sales at retail (9% for E10, 1% for other petrol blends, 2% for diesel blends) and attaches substantial penalties for non‑compliance (ss 35DB–35DC; penalties in ss 35B, 35C, 35DB–35DE). That changes incentives across the supply chain: fuel sellers must secure compliant product or face fines; suppliers have a stronger commercial incentive to supply biobased blends.\n\n- The statutory “all reasonable steps” defence (s 35DD) reduces the risk of absolute strict liability for sellers who can show they implemented compliance systems, training, testing and record-keeping. That channels behaviour toward documented compliance processes rather than ad hoc responses.\n\n- The E10 octane‑display requirement (s 35DE) formalises a consumer information obligation: retailers must display the rounded research octane number on each E10 pump in visible locations.\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade-offs to note**\n\n- Who pays: primary compliance costs fall on fuel sellers/retailers (procurement of compliant blends, testing, staff training, signage and record-keeping). Some costs flow upstream to wholesalers and suppliers who must provide compliant fuel. Consumers may bear some costs via prices.\n\n- Concentrated benefits: ethanol and biobased diesel producers gain a stronger, predictable market for product. If domestic production is limited, importers or out‑of‑state suppliers may capture the benefit.\n\n- Diffuse costs: many small retailers face the fixed costs of compliance (testing regimes, signage, record-keeping), which could be proportionally larger for small operators.\n\n- Compliance incentives: the large step-up in penalties for repeat offences (10×) creates strong deterrence against persistent non‑compliance. The “all reasonable steps” defence encourages formal compliance systems and documentation.\n\n- Implementation risks and practicalities: the measures assume ready availability of compliant blends at the required percentages. If supply is patchy, retailers may either incur cost to source blends or risk non‑compliance. Measuring and verifying % v/v consistently across the chain will require testing standards and enforcement capacity. The definition of an “E10 fuel pump” covers pumps used to sell E10 even if used for other purposes, which may create practical labelling questions at multi-product pumps (s 35DE).\n\n**Selected section references**\n- Commencement: cl 2.  \n- Wholesale application changes: cl 4 (amending s 35A).  \n- Penalty increases for existing sustainable biofuel rules: cl 5 (s 35B) and cl 6 (s 35C).  \n- New retail blend rules and definitions: cl 7, new ss 35DA–35DE.  \n- Dictionary updates: cl 8.\n\n"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/liquid-fuel-supply-ethanol-and-other-biofuels-mandate-amendment-bill-2026","history":"/api/acts/liquid-fuel-supply-ethanol-and-other-biofuels-mandate-amendment-bill-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/liquid-fuel-supply-ethanol-and-other-biofuels-mandate-amendment-bill-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/liquid-fuel-supply-ethanol-and-other-biofuels-mandate-amendment-bill-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/liquid-fuel-supply-ethanol-and-other-biofuels-mandate-amendment-bill-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/liquid-fuel-supply-ethanol-and-other-biofuels-mandate-amendment-bill-2026/documents"}}