The Shell service station in Mount Isa is preparing to dispose of its LPG gas bowser, the only one of its kind between there and Hughenden, but KAP leader Robbie Katter says this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of fuel security.
The member for Traegar believes that the removal of this bowser will not only affect locals and tourists needing to restock on LPG, but also an indication that Australia could be on the verge of a fuel security problem.
"It's definitely a big deal for people on the ground here, but I think the more important question is why is this happening, and UI think the why is a lot bigger than just they don't want to supply to Mt Isa," Mr Katter said.
"This little event here of but saying LPG is no longer sold here, putting out that sign, that is now the manifestation of something we've been warning about for 10 years.
"I've been having this discussion about the shortages and lack of security around gas supply for the last 10 years with big, large industrial operators., while the state Labor government that committed to selling off all our gas to large multi national interests when they built the LPG plants in Gladstone.
"Everyone thought it was a wonderful idea and it was a big sugar hit to the economy, but the KAP warned the government on countless occasions, that there will be a large cost from this in the long term to the economy, and that's exactly what we're experiencing now."
Mr Katter said there were three major things that the government should be doing to improve fuel security, including the establishment of a gas reserve policy, the promotion of biofuels and the construction of more oil refineries in Australia.
"In terms of fuel security, one of the big answers is promoting biofuels," he said.
"We could be growing sorghum or sugarcane to go into factories and that's not too hard to do, in fact, we've already got a few existing factories throughout Queensland. We just need expansion of that product.
"We should be incentivising fuel oil refineries to be built back onshore here in Australia, and there's probably a number of ways that could be that could be done strategically.
"So there's there's a number of levers to pull, all of them the government don't like and have failed to act on countless occasions, both at a state and federal level, not without a lot of provocation from the KAP trying to deliver on this."
The Katter Australia Party has seen some legislative success when pushing for fuel security, with the biobased petrol mandate, which requires that 4 per cent of the total volume of petrol sales by fuel retailers must be biobased petrol, or ethanol.
Mr Katter said the party will continue to keep government accountable on the topic, ensuring that national security and self-sufficiency remain front of mind.
"We'll continue to push those things because we think fuel sovereignty is very important," he said.
"Unlike the Liberal and Labour parties who, for 20 years now, have told us it's more important that we have been participating in a global economy and if it's going to be done cheaper overseas, then we should just ignore the fact that we've got no fuel security here.
"We don't think that's acceptable."
