AdBlue shortage exposes Australia’s fuel security failure

December 14, 2021

KAP Kennedy MP, Bob Katter, and Federal Candidate for Herbert and transport operator, Clynton Hawks, have slammed the Federal Government’s inadequate response to the dire AdBlue fuel shortage issue saying that by February, the only road that Aussie trucks will be on, is a catastrophic one.


Mr Katter said that AdBlue, a diesel engine additive used for trucks, some agriculture equipment and family vehicles, had been placed into jeopardy due to China cutting Australia off from importing Urea – the key ingredient.


He said that this is a situation of the Government’s own creation.


“AdBlue has only been made essential by the Government to meet environmental requirements. I am informed that the entire trucking fleet could operate without any AdBlue if the Government were to simply suspend their requirements for its use.”


Mr Hawks said the trucking industry is on the road to catastrophe and that the sector is appalled at the Government’s slow response to the crisis having, “sat on the issue” for nearly five months.


“I am deeply disgusted that the Federal Government has failed to provide the transport industry with a solution,” he said.


“There have been many roundtables, and meetings, and yet, they still can’t tell us what our AdBlue stock levels were, or what their plan was.


“The Assistant Minister for Freight Transport has sat on this for a couple of months now and all they have done is monitor the situation.


“Actions speak louder than words. It’s time for the talking to stop. The transport industry deserves to know what is going on,” he said. 


Mr Katter said that the Government’s current solution ‘forming a taskforce’ is not good enough.


Both Mr Katter and Mr Hawkes are calling on the Prime Minister’s office to urgently intervene and suspend the requirement for the trucking industry to use AdBlue for at least 12 months.


The extraordinary irresponsibility of the Government just beggar’s belief. All semi-trailers will go off the road in February and we are being told that they have appointed a “taskforce” to investigate, yet all we have are inquiries… Hells Gates, the Hughenden dam scheme, fuel security, the Darwin port, inquiries going on every bloody street corner, but when it comes to action, nil.


“This is very serious. The only Australian supplier of AdBlue, Incitec Pivot, can only supply 10 percent and they intend to close down the plant completely.”

Mr Katter said the price of AdBlue had exploded since the announcement was made, from around 60c to $2.20 with everyone trying desperately to buy up stock.

 “I have confirmed with both the national and Queensland transport body that the situation is absolutely desperate and all they got off the Government is the same as I got off them – they are setting up a taskforce.


“It’s quite simple what needs to be done. I’ve had discussions with the Prime Minister, so today I am calling it bluntly – suspend the AdBlue regulations for at least 12 months.”


This, however, goes to a far more fundamental issue.


‘It’s a ‘brutal cannonball shot’ over Australia’s bow, demonstrating how serious Australia’s reliance on foreigners for fuel supply has become.


“I asked the question to the Prime Minister in May this year, ‘what would happen if China embargoed our petrol and diesel in which almost all of it comes in from Singapore and South Korea?’


 “Now if there is any doubt about where China is going to go from here, this is just a warmup, this is the warning, this is the flashing amber light which they have given us, warning us to behave ourselves – or else.


“Only two weeks ago, in the last Parliament Sitting of 2021, we continually raised fuel sovereignty and security as a key issue. It was brought to the House as a Matter of Public Importance, asked as a Question to the Prime Minister in Question Time and raised again in a 90 Second Statement. Draft legislation, our Australian Fuel Security and Sovereignty Bill, was circulated throughout the House in key discussions with the Government, Opposition and Crossbenchers.


“It is imperative now that our Sovereign Fuel Security Bill goes through in the first week of Parliament. It would appear to me all the crossbenchers will carry the bill and the ALP have initiated discussions with us on this as well.


“My message to the Government is clear – if you can’t see the bullet coming, for Heaven’s sake, resign as the Government.


“Clynton is dead right. Actions speak louder than words and it’s time for the talking to stop. The freight industry, transport industry and, quite literally, the whole of Australia, deserves, and should demand, immediate action,” he said. 



ENDS 

Katter warns PM and Premier: Fail Isa, fail the nation

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 3, 2025
Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, today visited Mount Isa, a city built on mining and industrial manufacturing, as its people face the grim reality of a slow-motion industrial collapse 20 years in the making off the back of Glencore's threat of imminent closure should they fail to get a "government bailout". Mr Katter spoke directly with residents, many of whom have spent generations working in the mines, smelters, and refineries that once defined Australia's critical mineral capacity. "For decades, governments in this country have taken our mineral processing for granted, and at the same time Glencore has made short-term self-serving decisions on investment and energy that created risks for the entire country," Mr Katter said. "The Mount Isa-Townsville industrial complex is not just important; it is the most important manufacturing production line in this nation. It is the only place in Australia where copper ore from across Queensland and beyond can be turned into usable copper – the copper that builds your homes, powers your electrical infrastructure, underpins weapons manufacturing, and drives the computers and technology that hold our country together. "Yet governments have sat idly by while Glencore has been allowed to gain complete control over Australia's most valuable industrial asset, and they've made some disastrous decisions that are biting them and risking Australia's minerals production. And now, with copper prices strong, demand rising, and the world screaming for critical minerals, our processing capacity is being shuttered. "For 20 years, governments and Ministers have come to Mount Isa for their photo opportunities, promised cheaper power, more competitive markets, and finally, CopperString. But every announcement has been just that – words and no action, and they've left every major decision up to a ruthless multinational trading company that is now threatening to walk," Mr Katter said.

Reserve gas policy welcome, but Mount Isa/Cloncurry still on the brink

By Rachelle Ambrum • July 2, 2025
"A devil is often in the detail – and we haven't seen that yet with this proposed review into the East Coast Gas Reservation scheme. While this announcement appears to be very positive, it may change, and my position may change on it," Mr Katter said. Mr Katter warned the energy crisis facing Mount Isa was "absolutely critical", and said the town is not connected to the national electricity grid and relies entirely on gas for electricity, chemical production and industry operations. "The copper smelter, the copper operations, the dozen copper mines, the silver-lead-zinc plant, make Mount Isa the third biggest industrial centre in this country, just behind Newcastle and Gladstone," he said. "The complete collapse of Mount Isa's industrial base was imminent last week. The dominoes were already falling. Mount Isa pulls 3,000 jobs directly out of Townsville and fuels billions in industrial exports. If it goes under, it's not just a local issue – it's a national one." Mr Katter said he sent a blunt letter to both the Prime Minister and the Queensland Premier, warning that, without action on a gas reservation policy, they would be remembered as presiding over the industrial destruction of the region. "We are paying up to $16.60 for a unit of gas in Mount Isa, while the Americans and Russians are paying $5 US. It's impossible to survive or compete under those conditions. Give us RRP and we go forward. Deny us, and there will be a collapse." Mr Katter said he had received no response from the Queensland Premier, despite personal representations by state MP Robbie Katter, but acknowledged that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken direct action by including new gas from the Northern Territory, including the Beetaloo Basin, in the policy.

Katter demands increased defence spending in the north: “We’re unlikely to be fighting penguins in Antarctica… the threat is in the north”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 24, 2025
As recently as late last week, Mr Katter held discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister, making representations for the new amphibious army fleet to be ported at Cairns and for final funding to be provided for the ship lift so that maintenance can be undertaken on Australia's naval vessels. "Unless we are going to be battling the penguins of Antarctica, maybe we should cast our eyes north to where the threat is more likely," Mr Katter said. "To go to war now is not only inconceivable but a catastrophic failure of defence planning that echoes the same fatal mistakes made in World War II. "In the Second World War, our three armies were sitting in the Libyan Desert while the Japanese prepared to invade. Whether it was dereliction of duty or outright stupidity, it was the most damning judgement on a government in this country's history," Mr Katter said. "They knew we were about to be invaded, and they sent two forward scout groups to meet the threat — 3,000 young men and the 49th Battalion. Half of them had never fired a rifle in their life. Our Air Force was so under-equipped it was a joke; the Wirraway had machine guns on the wings and no chance of taking on Japanese Zeros." Mr Katter compared the current state of Australia's Defence Force to those dark days, saying the government's claims of readiness are farcical in the face of the growing international military capability.

Katter furious: No justice for graziers devastated by 2011 ban

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 18, 2025
Katter accused the Court of "turning their backs on those who bore the brunt of a government blunder" by underestimating the impact of the ban on long-term export numbers and industry viability. Mr Katter said the Court's minimisation of the industry's losses is an insult to the thousands of families who suffered financial and emotional devastation and warned the ongoing delays in compensation will only compound the damage. "At nearly 300 million people, Indonesia is one of the biggest countries on earth. There's a massive market for our beef. They need beef but they can't afford it if it's processed in Australia. We can grow it to one year old very inexpensively," Katter explained. "If they grow the beast out and then process it there, it becomes very competitively priced." Katter warned that Australia's cattle and sheep herds are plummeting, with live exports being one of the few remaining options for sustaining the northern economy. "We need to quadruple our beef herd in Australia. And just the opposite is happening, it's the most extraordinary phenomenon. The cattle numbers have gone from 32 million in the late '70s down to 24 million and that's where they've stayed," he said. Katter took aim at the ALP's economic legacy, particularly its handling of Australia's once-thriving wool industry. "The Labor Party has earned their place in the history books. The biggest export earner for Australia for 200 years was wool. In 1990, it was Australia's largest export item at $6 billion per year. But Keating's obsession with free market economics completely demolished the wool industry. And what was left was destroyed by Labour's ban on live exports. "So congratulations Mr ALP, you destroyed the biggest wealth earner for this nation." Mr Katter said the Court must now ensure justice is delivered when it determines how much compensation is due to those who suffered under the 2011 ban. ENDS

Katter to Woolies: “Not Sundays, not in Gordonvale”

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 13, 2025
"I plead with every Australian to understand this. I know it's easy to go to the bigger store, and when you think "food", you think "Woolworths and Coles". But it's because you've been brainwashed; you see it on your TV over and over again: morning, noon and night. "But, it's not just one more trading day. It's the beginning of the end for the independent shops that hold our communities together," Katter pleaded. "We will tenaciously oppose and take down the names of anyone that pushes 7-day trade at Gordonvale Woolworths. "Look, I understand. I'm a person who can hardly ever get to the shops 9 to 5 during the week. I come from the Mount Isa and Cloncurry area; I've been a miner working continuous shifts, and I'd deeply appreciate a service like that. "But do I want to live in a society with only one person I can sell food to and buy food from? Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's what we're living in right now." Mr Katter said the duopoly of Coles and Woolworths is rapidly turning Australia into a corporate monopoly state, with suburbs like Gordonvale the latest target. "Let's be clear: this is not about community choice or convenience. It's about wiping out the last little guys still standing. The butcher, the bakery, the fruit stall on the side of the road – all gone, so we can hand more power to the supermarket duopoly. "These supermarket giants can do whatever they like; they can force their staff to work incredible hours, not to mention they own the major political parties. "But they may not have noticed, but the major parties can't even get 33 percent of the vote; people just won't vote for them anymore. "I will personally fight tooth and nail, snake and goanna. It won't be the Marquess of Queensberry Rules here, and if I fail, well, I'll go down fighting. At least I can know that. "Please, we are Australians, and this is un-Australian. This has got to be fought with fire." ENDS

Katter slams ACT's Reconciliation Day: "They're dying at 49 while Canberra takes a day off"

By Rachelle Ambrum • June 11, 2025
At a press conference in Townsville, Mr Katter announced his discovery of declining life expectancy figures in remote First Australian communities such as Doomadgee in North West Queensland . "I have encountered sickening hypocrisy in my life, and I have kept these figures to myself because I don't want my country to be likened to South Africa, but I can't stay silent any longer. "I am divulging now with great rage that the life expectancy for real fair dinkum blackfellas living on their community has slipped from 54 down to 49 [ 1 ] . For the rest of us, it's about 82. "Every person in Australia should be sickened by this. Sick and tired and fed up. "There's not one single person in Canberra doing anything about it, and they have the absolute hypocrisy of giving themselves a holiday to commemorate our First Australians. "The only place where they voted Yes was Canberra and the place responsible for this sickeningly low life expectancy is Canberra."

Katters declare emergency for Isa and Townsville

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
Crisis talks, led by Katter's Australian Party Leader Robbie Katter, Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae, with key stakeholders, recognise that the future of the entire region is at risk if Mount Isa is lost as the administrative hub of the North West Critical Minerals Province. "We need to implement 'use it or lose it' policy – meaning Glencore must be forced to sell if they won't operate," Mr Katter explained. "The smelter must stay open and we need to make CopperString happen now. All of these things are linked; they all play a significant role in ensuring Queensland's economic stability and Australia's national sovereignty." Mr Katter said the nation's future was at risk if governments continued to cave to foreign-owned corporations. "There is $680 billion worth of copper in the North West Minerals Province – just sitting there. To put that in context, the 2024-25 projected federal revenue is $711.5 billion. "And the audacity of Glencore to ask for $2 billion – this is not a handout to a foreign corporation – it absolutely cannot be. If Glencore wants government money, then at the very least, there must be a ceding of 50% control – or they get nothing. "Let them close the mine if they want – then the government must, by law, impose rehabilitation and remediation. I've got mates who close mines and get hit with huge bills. But when it comes to big foreign corporations, it seems in Queensland, there's one set of rules for us and another for them. "We will assert our sovereignty, and I'll tell you now – we'll be taking names of those who don't back us on this. Because if you're not fighting for Australia's ownership of its resources, you're not Australian. "We've got to start having some tough conversations in Brisbane and Canberra, and that's really got to happen in the next four to six weeks, or we're going to be in deep trouble. "I want to congratulate Mayor Peta MacRae, the Mount Isa City Council, and Robbie Katter – they're doing everything they can. But we need the rest of the country to wake up." Bob and Robbie Katter are hosting a public 'Future of Mount Isa' meeting on Friday, June 6, at 6.30pm at the Barkly Hotel in Mount Isa. For more information or to register, please call 07 4743 3534 or email Bob.Katter@aph.gov.au. ENDS

“Australians must own the Port of Darwin” - Katter

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 28, 2025
"The Port of Darwin must be owned by the Australian people," Mr Katter said. "With an emerging diplomatic rough between China and the US over ownership, it is most extraordinary that the Australian Government appears unwilling, or unable, to see the value and strategic importance of such critical infrastructure. "Why are we not fighting tooth and nail to ensure our most strategic port is not controlled by a foreign corporation? Even if it is our friends, the Americans. "This megalomaniac obsession with globalism and free-marketism has crippled our nation. Until recently, key assets like the Darwin Port were owned by the Australian Government – as they were for all of our history. 

Katter calls on young riders to saddle up

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 23, 2025
"Since the dawn of time, man has been riding horses, and he will continue to do so until the end of time," Mr Katter said. "Our history, not just in Australia but across the world, has been shaped on horseback. You can't understand world history without understanding the role that horses played on the Silk Road – from China to Europe, those horses were the beating heart of civilisation. "Working with horses gives you courage, discipline, and pride – all the things our country desperately needs more of," he said. "Horse riding is the most enjoyable pastime – and it keeps you fit and grounded in the real world, not glued to a screen. "I've never been real keen on trekking. I've done about six or seven hundred kilometres in the army and another eight or nine hundred kilometres along the road to St Francis station in my prospecting days. I've been extremely keen on horses ever since." Kisten Bodkin, President of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said pony clubs are for anyone, even those like Mr Katter whose riding careers have been less than glorious. "Horse riding builds more than just riding skills. We've always said that 'pony club is fun', and that's kind of our motto. Even when you're having a rough time, pony club is fun, and it's truly for everyone. "Working with horses teaches personal responsibility and discipline, and gives a goal for young people to aim for, and we love seeing them excel at their passion. "Even though it's an individual sport, you learn how to socialise with people of all ages and you make lifelong friends. "We've seen ourselves and our children grow up, and while school friendships often drift apart, the pony club friendships just seem to stand the test of time." Zoe Macor, Secretary of the Gordonvale Pony Club, said the club has become a multi-generational legacy in her family. "My kids have grown up in the club and are now instructors here, and my grandchildren are coming up the ranks as well. "It's wonderful seeing our children travel to state and national events. The kids see their instructors riding and competing, and have something to strive for. "With three generations of our family involved in the club, well there's nothing quite like it." Mr Katter encouraged locals to saddle up for a night of entertainment at the Gordonvale Round of the 2025 Great Northern Bullriding Series this Saturday, May 24th, from 7pm. The event will raise funds for grounds and facilities upgrades, ensuring up-and-coming riders have a place to grow their skills for years to come. ENDS

Katter declares KAP the only true Opposition as LNP fractures

By Rachelle Ambrum • May 20, 2025
"Yesterday we had one party, the LNP, with no direction. Today we have two parties with no direction," stated Mr Katter. "Australia is in desperate need of an Opposition that can hold the ALP Government to account. Instead what we are receiving is an Opposition in complete disarray." "True to form, neither the Liberals or the Nationals can agree to a position on net zero, nuclear, coal or renewables. Instead they are both blindly going down the path of higher energy prices and severe energy shortages. They have no alternative, no criticism, no set direction." "The Liberals and Nationals have destroyed almost every rural industry that has supported them. They deregulated or opened to the "free" market; sugar, tobacco, maize, peanuts, flowers, grapes, avocados, citrus and many other primary industries." "The newly elected Liberals leader, Sussan Ley, led the charge to ban live-sheep export – overnight destroying the livelihoods of many hard working rural families. Littleproud has got very little to be proud of for not even fighting this in the slightest but rather standing behind wiping the tears from his eyes." "Don't be fooled – cattle will be next. They are no friend to the farmer." "For many years the policy lines between the ALP, LNP, Liberals and Nationals have been blurred, marred by political infighting rather than genuine and meaty debates on the direction that our once great nation is taking." "One thing is true now more than ever, Katter's Australian Party is the true Opposition." ENDS
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