The ATA has welcomed the Government's decision to release up to 20 per cent of Australia's domestic fuel reserves to address petrol and diesel shortages in regional areas.
The Government will reduce what is called the baseline minimum stockholding obligation so fuel companies can release of up to 762 million litres of petrol and diesel.
"In our meetings with ministers this week, the ATA urged the Government to keep Australians up to date about our fuel stocks and to address the regional supply issues that are occurring," ATA CEO Mathew Munro said.
"These shortages are due to high demand, not to a lack of fuel in Australia. Fuel shipments are continuing to arrive.
"Australia's fuel reserves are here in Australia or on ships nearby, not in the United States or anywhere else.
"Coupled with the Government's commitment to release fuel supply information to the market weekly, today's announcement will help make sure that regional trucking businesses have the fuel they normally use to keep freight moving," he said.
Under the Government's announcement, fuel companies will only be allowed to relax their storage obligations if-
- they are taking steps to prioritise supply to regional customers, with a focus for supply to regional, agricultural and maritime customers experiencing supply shortages
- they are taking steps to allocate reasonable additional supply to bulk customers such as independent regional distributors
- they are providing the volumes needed to help meet usual demand, not to provide uncontracted distributors or customers seeking to profiteer from global price spikes, panic purchasing or stockpiling with above normal quantities of fuel.
The announcement represents Australia's contribution to the decision by International Energy Agency member countries to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to the global market. It is the biggest emergency release of fuel ever.
"At a meeting of our member association CEOs today, it was agreed that the ATA will collate and provide the Government with a list of regional areas where freight transporters are experiencing supply issues," Mr Munro said.
"Collectively, the ATA has expert road freight association representatives across all parts of Australia."
