Australia ends wartime fuel discount as petrol prices rise

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that a 16‑cent‑per‑litre fuel excise discount will end on Sunday, ending four months of relief for motorists as unleaded petrol prices approach $2 a litre. The discount was introduced as a wartime measure when the Iran conflict disrupted oil supplies and the Strait of Hormuz was closed. It was halved for three months in April and slated for a gradual phase‑out. Albanese said, “What we’ve moved to… ensuring fuel supply and we have more fuel in Australia today than we had in February 28,” adding that the government will monitor cost‑of‑living issues and could reinstate the cut if Middle‑East tensions worsen. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher confirmed that the heavy‑vehicle road‑user charge discount for diesel‑powered trucks and buses will also cease on the same day. The policy change comes amid renewed strikes between Iran and the United States and broader escalation in the region.