"The Commonwealth fleet is leading Australia in the uptake of ethanol fuels," Senator Ron Boswell, Leader of The Nationals in the Senate said today. "New figures released today by a Senate Estimates Committee for the month of April, indicate 96% of Comcars in New South Wales use ethanol blended fuel as their fuel of choice," he said. "E10 usage in the ACT for Comcars is 53%. This is a great outcome, given that there are only 4 service stations in the ACT that provide E10 blended fuels. "South Australian Comcar's E10 usage is a staggering 100% and Victoria's usage, where there are very limited sites retailing E10, is 22%. "In March this year 62,537 litres of E10 was used by the entire Commonwealth Fleet. The lack of availability has hindered the uptake of ethanol blended fuels by the fleet of approximately 12,000 vehicles. "If the usage figures for Comcars was reflected across the entire Commonwealth Fleet of approximately 12,000 vehicles, it would result in a significant increase in demand for E10. "The statistics indicate that motorists are willing to use E10 fuel but are hindered by the lack of availability from fuel retailers. "Administrative changes have allowed ease of access for Commonwealth fleet users to implement this program. "The high level of usage indicates that E10 has been broadly accepted by the professional drivers of the Comcar fleet, dispelling any myths that E10 is damaging to vehicles," he said. Senator Boswell called upon the fuel companies that have the fuel contracts for the Commonwealth fleet in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania to make E10 more available. "The Commonwealth fleet is a significant customer seeking E10 fuel, making it a viable product for fuel retailers across Australia," Senator Boswell said. ENDS Media Contact - Paul Leven 07 3001 8150