Committee Details

About the Inquiry 

Inquiry Flyer

On 11 June 2025, the Primary Industries and Resources Committee resolved to self-refer an inquiry into sugarcane bioenergy opportunities in Queensland with the following terms of reference:

1. The role and benefits of sugar cogeneration in Queensland’s electricity generation mix, including existing capacity and potential for expansion.
2. Market, regulatory, and infrastructure barriers to increased bioenergy production from sugar.
3. Opportunities to align sugar biofuel production with national security and Defence liquid fuel needs.
4. Policy and funding mechanisms to de-risk investment in cogeneration and biofuels by manufacturers and growers, including examples of successful policy implementation from overseas and other industries.
5. The R&D agenda to underpin a world leading sugar-led bioenergy industry.
6. Strategic land use and regional development considerations affecting cane growing and sugar manufacturing capacity.
7. Benefits for growers in diversification opportunities.
8. Consideration of food verses fuel.

submissions

Submissions closed at 5.00pm on Monday, 27 October 2025. Submissions accepted by the committee are available on the webpage under the "View submissions" tab.

portfolio briefing

The committee held a public portfolio briefing with the Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Treasury, the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, and sugarcane stakeholders on 30 April 2025, which helped inform the establishment of the inquiry. A transcript of the briefing is available here.

PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS

The committee intends to hold a public hearing on the inquiry in November 2025. Details including programs will be published in the timeline below as they become available.

Further information

Further information including written briefings, correspondence, response to submissions, transcripts and answers to questions taken on notice are available under the Related Publications tab.

Committee’s report

The committee intends to table an interim report on 15 December 2025, and a final report on 12 June 2026. The reports will be published here.

Once the committee’s report has been tabled, the Government has three months to respond to the report’s recommendations (if any). At that time, the Government Response will be published here.

timeline