The federal government is being urged to take “urgent and radical steps” to secure the nation’s fuel security following reports it is working on a plan that would not see Australia meet the International Energy Agency’s 90-day fuel stockholding obligation until 2026.
Recent attacks on oil infrastructure in the Middle East, including a drone strike that has knocked out half of Saudi Arabia’s crude oil production, highlight Australia’s exposure to global energy shocks and the need to overhaul shipping, refining, and storage capacity.
According to The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and the Australian Workers Union (AWU), Australia currently has the lowest fuel reserves of any member nation of the IEA. During the last financial year, the unions say, Australia had an average of just 23 consumption days of petroleum in storage, 20 days worth of diesel, and 25 days of aviation fuel.
A nation at risk
The MUA and AWU have warned that the Morrison Government’s failure to act on fuel security was putting the country at risk of economic and social disaster in the event military conflicts, economic crisis, or natural disasters disrupt shipping.
“The recent drone attack in Saudi Arabia highlights just how quickly major disruptions can occur to fuel supplies,” MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said.
“With more than 90 per cent of the fuel that keeps vehicles on the road and planes in the air now coming by sea – much of it through potential conflict zones such as the Middle East and South China Sea – Australia has never been more vulnerable.
“Worst of all, every drop of oil imported to Australia comes on tankers that are owned and operated by foreign companies, meaning that the fuel they carry could be diverted to their home countries in the event of a global crisis.”
AWU National Secretary Dan Walton said closures of Australian oil refineries and shrinking storage facilities had also been responsible for the country’s sustained non-compliance with IEA obligations.
“The government has allowed Australia to become dangerously addicted to imported fuel,” Mr Walton said.
“Even now with a fuel security crisis looming, they are doing nothing to support and promote local refining.
“We desperately need to build new refineries and expand existing ones, which would create thousands of new jobs and safeguard our fuel security. But realistically we can’t do this unless the government wakes up.”
Action needed
The MUA last year commissioned a report by shipping expert John Francis, ‘Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty’, which found the country is reliant on the equivalent of almost 60 full-time fuel import tankers to supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel.
“The risks aren’t hypothetical,” Mr Crumlin said. “We’ve seen this week how vulnerable global fuel supplies are.
“The Australian Government needs to prioritise an urgent plan to invest in shipping, refining and storage capacity so that the country’s fuel supplies can return to a secure level.”
