Australia’s fuel imports are now guaranteed into May after newly secured shipping deliveries, according to Energy Minister Chris Bowen.
Mr Bowen said that because companies had locked in new ship contracts, with “3.7 billion litres of different types of fuel on their way to Australia for April”, he was confident that Australia’s supplies would remain steady.
“I’ve made the point that we were okay until mid-April. Now, it’s the case that we’re okay all through April and now into May,” he told RN radio on Monday.
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“Once it’s contracted, the fuel belongs to the Australian company that’s bought it, so that is legally locked in. So that’s encouraging.
“Of course, there is a risk in international circumstances and international situations, but every step that can be taken is being taken.
“Demand is very high but the fuel is also coming in the door through imports and the two refineries.”
Mr Bowen said while the number of impacted service stations was dropping after rolling out several government measures, there were still 283 of Australia’s about 8000 reporting shortages.
He said NSW and regional areas where farmers are preparing to seed their winter crops were particularly feeling the fuel squeeze.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Southeast Asia later this week to meet with counterparts about stabilising each country’s fuel supplies.
Mr Albanese will meet with PM Lawrence Wong following a recent shared agreement to keep their markets open during the global energy crunch.
Australia is reliant on several Asian nations for refined fuels, while they require natural gas from Down Under.
Mr Bowen said that he too was continuing engagement with trading partners and insisted key relationships were in “a great space”.
“Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, all recognise their obligations to remain a reliable energy supplier as much as they can, just as they look to us to be a reliable supplier of the energy we send to them,” he said.
It comes as the war in the Middle East appears to be intensifying with US President Donald Trump issuing fresh threats to Iran over its de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz overnight on his TruthSocial platform.
In an expletive-laced social media post, Mr Trump indicated that his patience is nearly exhausted as the deadline for this fresh 48-hour ultimatum draws closer.
Since the conflict began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, Mr Trump has frequently asserted that Iran is eager to negotiate, although Iran’s leadership has not shown a willingness to comply with his demands.
During his first Easter message at a Vigil in St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV made an urgent plea to world leaders to bring the war to an end.
“Some weigh heavily on the human heart, such as mistrust, fear, selfishness and resentment.
“Others, stemming from those inner ones, sever the bonds between us through war, injustice, and the isolation of peoples and nations. Let us not allow ourselves to be paralysed.”
