NSW and industry agree on immediate fuel security measures amid regional supply concerns

newy.com.au – The NSW Government and more than 50 industry and government leaders have agreed on a series of immediate measures to respond to fuel security pressures in New South Wales arising from the conflict in the Middle East, with a roundtable in Sydney on Monday focusing on local distribution issues and efforts to limit price impacts for consumers.

Premier Chris Minns and senior ministers joined industry representatives from transport and logistics, fuel, agriculture, local government, mining, unions and consumer protection groups at the Fuel Security Roundtable, chaired by Energy Minister Penny Sharpe. While the Commonwealth remains responsible for Australia’s fuel supply and has advised national fuel stocks remain secure, the meeting focused on steps the state and industry can take to manage disruptions within NSW.

A key outcome was an agreement for industry to share information with the NSW Government to provide a coordinated picture of fuel supply across the state for sharing with the Commonwealth. The roundtable also backed the use of the FuelCheck app to alert motorists when fuel is unavailable, priority supply for parts of NSW with limited access to fuel, and a process for bulk customers, government agencies and other stakeholders to channel information requests through the NSW Government’s Energy and Utilities crisis team.

The meeting heard particular concerns from regional stakeholders, including the NSW Farmers Federation and Country Mayors Association, about diesel supply to bulk fuel users and some petrol stations. Further discussions on regional issues will be held in the next fortnight, with shortages, price rises and potential impacts on fertiliser supply ahead of the winter sowing season identified as key concerns.

Minns said the state was focused on directing fuel to where it was needed most. “While global fuel supply challenges are beyond our control, there are practical things we can do here in New South Wales to ensure fuel is being distributed where it’s needed most, particularly in regional communities,” he said.

Sharpe said supply was still arriving in Australia despite strain in some areas. “While fuel continues to arrive to Australia and we have petrol availability, we acknowledge some regional businesses and petrol stations are running short,” she said. “Increased demand and higher prices are challenging distribution supply chains but there is no need to buy more fuel than you usually would.”

The government also warned against panic buying and unsafe storage of fuel, saying SafeWork NSW guidance required flammable and combustible substances to be kept in the lowest practical quantity in workplaces. Fair Trading will bring forward a compliance blitz on FuelCheck from next week, more than doubling the number of sites visited as it monitors whether advertised prices match those shown on the app.

The Minns government said it would continue working with the Commonwealth, including through the National Oil Security Emergency Committee, while a fuel security crisis team and incident room monitor supply, track low or no fuel reports, and help protect essential services across the state.