Why has the definition of petroleum works been changed to petroleum and fuel works and its definition extended to include alternative fuels?
Previously, the petroleum works category covered facilities producing natural gas, methane and petroleum products. It did not include the production of fuels from renewable, non-petroleum based sources, such as ethanol produced by fermentation and biodiesels produced through esterification. The amendment aims to ensure that the environmental impacts of emerging processes for manufacturing non-petroleum based fuels are addressed through the licensing process. Why has the threshold for some chemical industries that require licensing been increased? The previous definition captured a much broader range of premises than was intended, including small shops and companies selling pesticides, pharmaceutical or veterinary products. The new definition introduces a licensing threshold of ‘manufacture 1 tonne per year’ to ensure that licensing only applies to facilities that manufacture significant quantities of toxic substances classified in the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Good
