Fuel tax cut urged to avoid fruit 'rotting on trees'
As some country towns face major petrol shortages, pressure is mounting on the federal government to intervene to bring down fuel prices.
www.perthnow.com.auHere’s a concise update on the situation in Australia regarding petrol station shortages.
-
What’s happening: There are ongoing reports of fuel stations running dry or facing outages across multiple Australian states, including New South Wales and Victoria, with some stations completely out of petrol or diesel at times. This has coincided with government actions to address supply and price concerns. [Source summaries indicate widespread station outages and government responses in late March 2026].[1][2][5][7]
-
Government response: Authorities have rolled out measures to bolster supply, including relaxing certain fuel standards to expand diesel availability, releasing fuel from strategic reserves, and creating a fuel supply task force to prevent disruption to rural areas.[1]
-
Public and market context: Media coverage has noted regional disparities, with some rural and farming towns experiencing more acute shortages, while metropolitan areas report varying levels of supply. Industry commentary has highlighted the tension between short-term shortages and longer-term policy debates on refining capacity and fuel mix.[8][1]
-
What to watch next: Expect updates on any national or state-level actions to coordinate supplier Renditions, potential temporary rationing considerations if conditions worsen, and ongoing monitoring of refinery throughput and import flexibility.[5][9]
If you’d like, I can pull the latest live coverage from specific outlets (e.g., ABC News Australia, Reuters, or Sky News Australia) and summarize the newest numbers on stations out of fuel by state, with a short map-style briefing. Please tell me which sources you prefer.
Cited sources:
- Reports of stations running dry and government confirmations of shortages in NSW and Victoria.[2][1]
- Government measures to increase diesel supply and establish a fuel task force.[1]
- Additional country-wide shortage reports and media coverage confirming widespread outages.[7][5]