More than 500 major petrol stations in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, Australia are now out of petrol and diesel, marking a serious disruption to the country's fuel supply chain.
Official figures reveal 520 stations are affected, with a near-equal number between urban and rural areas.
NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed that 313 stations in the state are facing fuel shortages, including 187 that have run out of diesel completely and 32 stations without any fuel supply.
With around 2,500 petrol stations in NSW, this figure represents a significant disruption in supply.
Meanwhile, Victoria recorded 207 petrol or diesel stations running out of petrol or diesel. Of these, 115 stations were out of petrol and 92 were out of diesel.
The distribution of locations shows that the supply pressure is not only concentrated in the big cities, but also involves rural and regional areas.
The crisis has not yet shown any signs of abating, with the number of stations affected changing from time to time.
Minns acknowledged that major oil companies were still able to supply limited amounts of fuel. However, major questions were raised about the instability of the supply chain and the causes of stock shortages in certain areas.
The NSW government has undertaken two major initiatives. First, it has required oil companies to report transparently on how they are distributing surplus fuel, particularly additional supplies released by the federal government.
Second, an Emergency Operations Centre has been opened in Parramatta to monitor critical sectors such as construction, agriculture and mining and ensure fuel distribution can be carried out in a more planned manner.
Victoria’s Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio stressed that the state government would use official data to identify the areas most affected.
In addition, the state government has also increased enforcement of price caps and monitored fuel price increases directly at petrol stations.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has rejected proposals for unilateral fuel rationing and called for a uniform approach at the national level.
The state government is also drawing up continuity plans for key sectors including agriculture and healthcare as a precautionary measure should this supply crisis continue.
It is clear that this crisis is not just a technical issue in fuel supply.
It also raises serious questions about the country's reliance on a fragile distribution system, low stock levels and possible weaknesses in supply policies at the federal level.
