Australian Government Secures 40 Million Litres Diesel for Queensland

The Australian federal government has arranged an additional 40 million litres of diesel to ease supply bottlenecks in regional Queensland. The shipment, organized by Export Finance Australia and independent supplier Freedom Fuels, is slated to arrive in Brisbane in the coming days and will be distributed to regional and independent service stations from June.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the delivery supplements 16 earlier shipments secured with Ampol, BP, IOR and Viva Energy in response to global fuel‑supply instability caused by the Middle‑East conflict. Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced a three‑month extension of the temporary relaxation of the Minimum Stockholding Obligation, allowing bulk importers and refineries to hold 20 % less diesel and petrol in reserve if they commit to increased market deliveries up to the end of September.

Under Strategic Reserve powers the government also secured an extra 205,000 tonnes of agricultural‑grade fertiliser. Australia now holds 48 days of petrol, 36 days of diesel and 30 days of jet fuel, with 46 ships ready to deliver various fuel types. Ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global markets, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 72 % of businesses cite fuel prices and supply as adverse factors.