Residents can log fuel supply issues in their area as part of a Nationals initiative to build pressure on state and federal governments to prioritise supply for regional communities.
The party has launched the “No Fuel Here” website, which allows people to report stations with supply issues or where fuel has run out, to provide a real-time picture of the way the issue is impacting our communities.
Reports will be sent directly to the federal MP representing that area.
The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said the initiative was in response to the federal and state Labor governments’ failures to acknowledge the critical impacts of the fuel crisis in rural and regional areas.
“More than 100 fuel stations in Victoria run out of at least one type of fuel last week, and securing fuel for farming operations is proving incredibly fraught,” she said.
“Fuel is not a luxury in rural and regional communities – it’s a necessity.
“Agriculture underpins the economy not just in our area but across the nation, and the inaction of our state and federal Labor governments – who continue to downplay this emergency – is putting our growers and our food security at risk.
“Local farmers are about to start cropping with no certainty about whether the fuel they’ve ordered will be delivered, or if they will have enough to plant their crops.
“If farmers can’t access fuel or fertiliser they will be forced to scale back operations, which is not only catastrophic for their personal livelihoods but also for consumers, who will face higher food prices as a result.”
Ms Kealy said it was critical that governments engaged with fuel wholesalers and importers to ensure fuel could still get to where it was needed most.
“We can only fix the fuel supply crisis if we know exactly where the issues are,” she said.
“That’s why the Nationals are tracking fuel shortages across the country, so our regions don’t get left behind in this supply crunch.
“If you know of a service station near you that has run out of fuel, please report it at nofuelhere.com.au
“These reports will help the Nationals continue to put pressure on Labor to prioritise our regions.”