States pump up fuel security and bowser policing
Queensland is exploring excess state land at six key ports for new fuel storage and refinery projects as part of an urgent effort to shore up supply and reduce dependence on volatile global markets.
Crisafulli’s government launched an Accelerated Fuel Infrastructure Program to promote new fuel refining and storage projects on state-owned lands and ports.
The program includes a statewide survey of suitable areas along the coast, a call for industry proposals, and an expedited approval process.
The release of oil reserves at Taroom Trough forms part of Queensland’s fuel security plan, alongside a proposal to refine more fuel locally, increase storage capacity and remove state taxes on fuel price increases.
Prime Minister David Crisafulli said the state must restructure its ability to drill, refine and store fuel so it is not at the mercy of global supply chains.
“More storage and refining of fuel locally means it is easier for families to fuel up and for small businesses to stay afloat,” he said.
Other states are also bracing for more fuel shocks, tightening emergency powers and cracking down on servos that don’t follow the rules.
In South Australia, the Malinauskas government is rewriting 30-year-old laws to strengthen fuel emergency powers in case conditions worsen, including a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The changes will bring SA into line with the Commonwealth and other states by allowing declared fuel rationing for up to 90 days at a time, as well as 90-day extensions.
The bill also allows for immediate fines and seizure of fuel obtained in violation of rationing and a three-year prison sentence for drivers who attack, threaten or intimidate fuel workers during an emergency.
Prime Minister Peter Malinauskas said the state was “hoping for the best while doing our best to prepare for the worst” and emphasized that the move did not mean a report card was expected.
“This is not a sign that we expect fuel rationing,” Mr. Malinauskas said.
“This is just to ensure that if the Commonwealth government takes action, the state is in the best position to respond quickly.”
In NSW, the Minns government is targeting service stations that fail to accurately report prices and fuel availability to the state’s FuelCheck app and website.
Under the new laws, instant fines will double to $1,100 for individuals and triple to $3,300 for companies; For those who repeat the same crime, higher penalties and harsher punishments will be imposed by the court.
FuelCheck, which provides real-time prices from nearly 2400 service stations, was accessed more than 22 million times in March and April, while NSW Fair Trading carried out more than 3700 inspections and issued nearly 230 fines.
