Combating petrol sniffing - expanding the supply and uptake of Opal fuel - Budget 2010-11 | Australian Government Department Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

This measure will fulfil the Government’s commitment to continue the voluntary roll out of Opal fuel, through the investment of $38.5 million in the expansion of storage and distribution facilities to meet community demand in northern Australia.
The initiative will support progress towards closing the gap in life expectancy for Indigenous Australians by achieving better health and social outcomes for affected individuals and the communities in which they live.
The continued and expanded roll out of Opal fuel to areas where petrol sniffing occurs will help to reduce the incidence and impact of petrol sniffing in 11 regional and remote Indigenous communities.
Around 8,850 people in the 11 communities in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland will directly benefit through a reduction in the adverse impacts of petrol sniffing including reduced violence and crime, with improved health outcomes, family functioning and community safety.
Indigenous communities in northern Australia already receiving Opal fuel will benefit from the establishment of new storage facilities in Darwin and northern Queensland, which will ensure a more reliable supply of Opal fuel.

Access to Opal fuel, a key plank of the Whole of Government Petrol Sniffing Strategy, has been demonstrated to reduce petrol sniffing, thereby improving the quality of life and health of sniffers, and reducing the harmful community effects of sniffing regular unleaded petrol.

Through fixing the storage and distribution problems, this measure will help to meet the current unmet community demand and enable the current voluntary roll out of Opal fuel to continue.
The supply of Opal fuel to the new sites will begin in the 2010-11 financial year with interim distribution arrangements in place until the bulk Opal fuel storage facilities in Darwin and northern Queensland are established.
Additional sites will be added through the life of the measure.
The storage facilities in Darwin and northern Queensland are expected to be ready for use in 2012-13.

The Government is providing $38.5 million over four years from 2010-11 to 2013-14 to fund this measure.