The diabolically dumb Queensland government continues to persist with ethanol as an alleged renewable, even in spite of the faact, for every unit of energy you get from ethanol you need to put two units of energy in! Moreover, current production uses scarce water, arable land and diverted food production. [If we can't sell the sugar, grow something we can! Like industrial hemp?]

Just a dumb waste of all the foregoing. It make more sense to use the ex-crush material as fuel that then puts power back into the grid, once the mill has achieved self powering status.

If they really want to get onside with farmers, (win their votes) then they should build a thorium powered power plant and supply really really affordable power to this sector and all industry! And in so doing turbocharge their economy.

I mean that refinery in Townsville only lacks affordable energy, to once again become both commercially viable and environmentally acceptable? Given any toxic waste can then be treated, recovered/recycled back through the plant etc.
Alan B.

Armchair Critic.

Governments are dribbling out “conscience” money to those desperate people unable to keep up with deliberately high prices.

This is to placate the “stupid” attached to the current situation with high power prices, and puts them in the uncaring basket.

Its divide and rule stuff. Golden handshakes are the order of the day to those wealthy enough to own property on which to install Government subsidised domestic solar generation plants on their roof; as opposed to those not owning property now forced to foot the entire bill with such token subsidies of one-off payments of $70 for example, donated by Morrison recently. (Also payed to those with subsided solar power as well, which hammers-in the arrogance of the situation).

Its obvious politicians refusing to acknowledge this problem of their own making, are also refusing to fix the mess which is impacting on those in the community least able to dodge the bullet of excessive power costs.

Another slight of hand ripp-off assisted by politicians, is the ability of power companies to split the power bill between rent and power use. This little gem has created a situation where subscribers attempts to lower power usage as an economy, are nulled.

Power users are being subjected to highway robbery with the assistance of uncaring politicians of all flavours. In short, scum-bags!