Notice Under Section 17A of the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 for Variation of the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024 - Muranno Group Pty Ltd (Expiry 30 June 2025)

Administered by Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Legislation au C2024G00432 In force Gazette

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BRANCH HEAD, LIQUID FUELS BRANCH

DEPARTMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER


NOTICE UNDER SECTION 17A OF THE FUEL QUALITY STANDARDS ACT 2000 FOR VARIATION OF THE FUEL QUALITY STANDARDS (PETROL) DETERMINATION 2024
- MURANNO GROUP PTY LTD (EXPIRY 30 JUNE 2025)

 

I, Jennifer Anne, Branch Head, Liquid Fuels Branch, delegate of the Minister, provide the following information concerning my decision to grant an approval under section 13 of the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 (the Act). 

Name of approval holder

Muranno Group Pty Ltd (ABN 41 627 498 515)

Period of operation

The approval comes into force on the date below and remains in force until 30 June 2025.

Details of the approval

This approval varies the fuel standard for petrol as set out in the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024 (Petrol Determination), so that fuels containing:

  • a maximum ethanol content of up to 20% v/v
  • a maximum ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE) content of up to 20% v/v 
  • a maximum methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) content of up to 20% v/v
  • a maximum olefins content of up to 20% v/v 
  • a maximum oxygen content of up to 4.65% m/m 

is taken to comply with the relevant parameters specified in the Petrol Determination in respect of the supply of specialised racing fuels until 30 June 2025. 

Summary of reasons for the approval

Having consulted with the Fuel Standards Consultative Committee as required by section 24A of the Act, and after considering the criteria in section 15 of the Act, I have granted the approval to the listed approval holder for the following reasons:

a)      The protection of the environment

The fuel subject to this approval is supplied and used in small quantities for motor sport activities. In this context, higher levels of ethanol, oxygen and aromatics are not expected to impact significantly on ambient air quality.

Motorsport events have many protocols in place to reduce environmental impacts. The fuel area is managed using environmental fuel spill kits, mats, bunding and other equipment to reduce any risk of impact to the environment. It is therefore expected that permitting the supply of the fuel covered by this approval for motorsport activities will not have an adverse effect on the environment.  

The fuel is expensive compared with normal fuels available to the public and the price provides a strong disincentive for any waste, misuse, or spillage.

It is therefore not expected that permitting the supply of the fuel covered by this approval for motor sport activities will have an adverse effect on the environment. 

b)     The protection of occupational and public health and safety

The fuel is not likely to have a significant impact on the health and safety of users as the volume of fuel used is low and confined to racing events. The fuel will be used by a small number of competitors and no contact with the general public is expected.

Specialist racing fuels are supplied in sealed containers of up to 200 litres capacity and are used in small quantities, predominantly in off-road activities, and in widely dispersed locations. Safe handling information will be provided with the fuel. The volume of fuel to be supplied under an approval is limited. Under these conditions, occupational and public health and safety risks resulting from short-term/intermittent use of these fuels will be minimised. 

c)      The interests of consumers

Specialist racing fuels meet the needs of a niche market for specific categories of motor racing. The consumers using these fuels seek the performance and operability characteristics provided by these fuels. Without them, motor sport competitors may not be able to operate their vehicles effectively.

Each racing category is managed by industry bodies that set homologation for their events. These set the allowable specifications of the fuel for each racing type. Without the supply of these racing fuels, many motorsport events would no longer be possible in Australia. 

Most of the motorsport industry have engines that are not able to safely operate on Australian fuel at retail pump sites, compliant under the Act. A large percentage of these cars and engines are from overseas and are built and manufactured to the international fuel specifications set by international racing organisations like the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Without the supply of many of these fuels, these motorsport industries would cease to exist.

d)     The impact on economic and regional development

Many racing venues are located outside major population areas. Motor and water sports events provide an ongoing financial benefit to these regional communities. A decision to disallow the continued and controlled supply of specialist racing fuels would have an adverse effect on national and regional motor sport competitions and the economic benefits that flow from them.

 

………………………………………………………………………….

 

Jennifer Anne

Branch Head, Liquid Fuels Branch 

25 June 2024

Overview

The Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 was enacted to regulate the quality of fuel sold in Australia, aiming to protect the environment, safeguard public health and safety, and support economic and regional development. The Act provides a framework for setting fuel quality standards and allows for variations to these standards to accommodate specific needs, such as those in the motorsport sector. In this context, the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024 was varied to allow the supply of specialised racing fuels containing higher levels of ethanol, ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), olefins, and oxygen, up until 30 June 2025. This variation was approved under section 13 of the Act by Jennifer Anne, Branch Head of the Liquid Fuels Branch, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The decision was made following consultation with the Fuel Standards Consultative Committee and consideration of the criteria set out in the Act. The approval aims to ensure that the supply of these specialised fuels for motorsport activities does not adversely impact the environment, public health and safety, while also supporting the economic and regional benefits of motorsport events.

Scope and Application

The Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 applies to entities and individuals involved in the supply, production, and distribution of fuel within Australia. This includes entities such as petrol stations, fuel producers, and suppliers. The Act sets out quality standards for fuel sold in Australia and mandates compliance to protect the environment and public health and safety. The geographic reach of this Act is national, applying across all states and territories of Australia. The Act does not specify exclusions but allows for exemptions and variations through subordinate instruments, such as the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024, which details the specific quality parameters for petrol. The notice under Section 17A of the Act grants an approval to Murano Group Pty Ltd, allowing them to supply specialised racing fuels with higher ethanol, ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), and olefins content, and oxygen levels until 30 June 2025. This exemption is made considering the limited use of such fuel in motorsport activities, the measures in place to protect the environment, and the economic benefits to regional communities from motorsport events.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of this legislation involve the granting of an approval under section 13 of the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 (the Act). Section 13 allows for the variation of fuel quality standards, and in this case, the Branch Head, Liquid Fuels Branch, has granted an approval under section 17A for Murano Group Pty Ltd to supply petrol with specific ethanol, ether, and olefin content up until 30 June 2025. This approval is specifically for the supply of specialised racing fuels and deviates from the usual petrol standards as set out in the Fuel Quality Standards (Petrol) Determination 2024. The approval permits a maximum ethanol content of up to 20% v/v, an ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE) content of up to 20% v/v, a methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) content of up to 20% v/v, an olefins content of up to 20% v/v, and an oxygen content of up to 4.65% m/m (section 13). The obligations and requirements imposed by this Act on Murano Group Pty Ltd and any other entity granted a similar approval are primarily concerned with the environmental protection, health and safety, and economic impacts of their operations. Murano Group Pty Ltd must ensure that the supply and use of the specialised racing fuel does not significantly impact ambient air quality or pose a risk to occupational and public health and safety. This includes adhering to the protocols set by motorsport events to reduce environmental impact, using appropriate equipment and measures to manage any potential fuel spills, and providing safe handling information with the fuel. Additionally, the Act requires that the supply of these fuels meets the needs of a niche market for motor racing, ensuring that the economic and regional development benefits from motorsport events are maintained. There are no specific offences or penalties mentioned in the text of the legislation; however, breaches of the Act or the terms of the approval could lead to civil or criminal consequences. Under Australian law, failure to comply with an Act or regulations can result in fines or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the breach. The maximum penalties would be determined by the relevant court based on the specific circumstances of any infringement. The approval holder must ensure that they operate within the bounds of the Act and the terms of the approval to avoid any legal repercussions.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.