Hundreds of fuel stations across the country are running dry

The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran has led to concerns about Australia’s levels of fuel, with oil shipping well below pre-conflict levels.

The Federal Government says national fuel supply remains stable and shipments are arriving as scheduled.

However, many fuel stations in regional and rural areas have run out of at least one form of fuel.

Here’s the state of play.

Context

Amid the escalating conflict in the region, Iran closed access to the Strait of Hormuz, a 33-kilometre-wide shipping lane off its southern border.

The strait usually sees around 20-25% of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas (used to heat homes and generate electricity) every day.

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In Parliament on Wednesday, Energy Minister Chris Bowen shared the number of petrol stations that had run out of at least one kind of fuel by state and territory. Bowen said stations in the ACT usually receive more supply within an hour of declaring a shortage.

Fuel levels at stations around Australia at 2pm Wednesday (AEDT)

Government actions

Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a new fuel supply taskforce. Representatives from all jurisdictions will coordinate a national plan to strengthen “fuel security and supply chain resilience.”

This week, the Government said it would release 500 million litres of fuel to the regions to compensate for shortages due to hoarding and supply chain issues.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called on the Government to “pick up the phone, speak to the companies [and] tell them to move the fuel to where the servos are sold out.”