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Commonwealth act
This law gives the Australian Government the power to control the quality of fuel sold in Australia — things like petrol, diesel, and fuel additives (substances added to fuel). The goal is to reduce pollution, protect public health, enable cleaner engine technology, and make sure consumers know what they're buying.
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Direct links to the current provisions in Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000.
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View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
The Minister makes the standards (called 'fuel standards' and 'fuel quality information standards') through formal legal instruments. Before doing so, the Minister must consult a Fuel Standards Consultative Committee — a body that includes representatives of states and territories, the Commonwealth, fuel producers, environmental groups, and consumers.
The law has a detailed enforcement system:
| Breach | Individual | Company | |---|---|---| | Supplying non-compliant fuel | 500 units (~$156,500) | 2,500 units (~$782,500) | | Bad fuel information/labelling | 60 units (~$18,780) | 300 units (~$93,900) | | Supplying/importing banned additive | 250 units (~$78,250) | 1,250 units (~$391,250) |
(Penalty unit values are approximate and change over time)
This federal law generally coexists with state and territory fuel laws — both can apply at the same time. However, the federal government can, through regulations, override state laws in specific areas where a national fuel standard applies.