Australia’s fuel shock should be no surprise

Australia’s fuel crisis has triggered a familiar response: emergency coordination, reactive policy adjustments and renewed political attention. But the important question is why Australia still responds this way at all.

Addressing fuel insecurity

Recent global conflicts from the invasion of Ukraine, Houthi attacks on crude oil tankers in the Red Sea and Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz prove that fuel supply is no longer a theoretical risk but an active, accelerating threat.

Fuel woes highlight resilience problem

Australia’s just-in-time approach to fuel supplies and the gradual decline in onshore refining left the nation vulnerable to international supply shocks which short term measures like fuel subsidies do nothing to counter.

Fuel security shouldn’t save the fossil fuel industry

A ‘gas-driven recovery’ and further investment in fossil fuels should not be a part of Australia’s response to the pandemic, says a UNSW climate justice expert.