The Country Women's Association of NSW is calling for urgent action to address Australia's fuel security vulnerabilities, warning that successive governments have ignored repeated warnings about the fragility of the nation's fuel supply.
CWA of NSW State President Tanya Jolly said the current global tensions and fuel market uncertainty have exposed just how precarious Australia's fuel supply chain has become.
"For years the CWA of NSW and many other industry experts have been raising concerns about Australia's fuel security," Ms Jolly said.
"Each time we raised this issue it either fell on deaf ears or was dismissed by policymakers as alarmist."
"It is disappointing that legitimate concerns raised by regional communities were treated that way, because the risks we warned about are now exactly the risks Australia is facing."
Australia is now heavily dependent on imported fuel and maintains only a limited reserve supply, leaving the country exposed to global disruptions.
"For regional communities and agriculture, fuel is not optional. Diesel powers farm machinery, freight, emergency services and the transport systems that keep food moving from paddock to plate," Ms Jolly said.
The Association said it was also deeply concerned by the lack of clarity from the NSW Government when the issue was raised during Budget Estimates this week.
"When questioned in Estimates yesterday, Minister Moriarity was unable to provide basic detail about contingency planning or how essential sectors within her ministerial portfolio, such as agriculture would be protected in the event of fuel shortages," Ms Jolly said.
"While overall fuel security is largely a federal responsibility, that does not absolve the NSW Government of it's responsibility to understand the risks facing this state and to advocate strongly on behalf of its communities and particularly agricultural industries."
The CWA of NSW said the NSW government should be urgently assessing the implications of fuel disruptions for the state's food production systems, freight networks and regional communities, and developing contingency plans.
"People in regional NSW travel long distances every day simply to work, attend school or access healthcare. Our farmers rely on diesel to produce the food that feeds this state and the nation," Ms Jolly said.
"If supply chains are disrupted or panic buying continues, regional areas and agriculture cannot be left competing with metropolitan demand in the open market."
The CWA of NSW is calling for immediate action, including:
- Clear national frameworks for prioritising fuel access for agriculture, freight, emergency services and regional communities during shortages,
- Greater transparency around Australia's fuel reserves and contingency planning,
- A clear and immediate plan to meet and exceed the internationally recognised 90-day fuel reserve benchmark,
- Stronger advocacy from the NSW Government to the Commonwealth for improved national fuel security settings.
"Australia cannot claim to be resilient while relying on just a few weeks of fuel to keep the country running," Ms Jolly said.
"Fuel security is food security, and governments at every level need to start treating it that way."
