❓ The Premier addresses fuel security concerns following a round table, outlining actions like prioritising fuel imports, restocking regional areas, and establishing an industry operational group to manage supply chain issues.
AnsweredQoN 131Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Fuel supply—Fuel security
round table
131. Ms Ali Kent to the
Premier:
I refer to the fuel security
round table hosted by the Premier yesterday.
Can the Premier
update the house on the outcomes achieved at the round table, including the
steps taken to address fuel security concerns?
round table
131. Ms Ali Kent to the
Premier:
I refer to the fuel security
round table hosted by the Premier yesterday.
Can the Premier
update the house on the outcomes achieved at the round table, including the
steps taken to address fuel security concerns?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for the question. As the member is aware, we yesterday held our fuel security round
table, because my government knows that petrol and diesel are critical to the
Western Australian way of life. It is how our industry works. It is we get the
kids to school each day. It is how we get to work each day. Mr Speaker, it is
important to make sure that we respond as a community to the challenges we face
because of the Middle East conflict and the interruption to global oil supplies
that is creating uncertainty across our community. We cannot control an
overseas conflict, but we can control how we respond to the challenges it
brings. That is why the fuel security round table was so important. We met with
industry leaders and community stakeholders from right across the economy to
make sure that we could hear about the impacts from people on the ground and then
work together on ways that Western Australia can be more resilient in the face
of global shocks so that the government can support the community and industry.
I want to protect Western Australians from any impacts, and to do that we need
to keep WA strong.
During the round
table, the government was assured that the fuel supply to WA is continuing to
arrive uninterrupted. Representatives from oil companies said that there are
literally 18 ships on their way to Australia at the moment—three of
those to Port Hedland and three to Kwinana. I am pleased to share that my
government and industry have agreed on a number of actions to address concerns
here in WA.
Firstly, we will
investigate prioritising fuel and fertiliser imports through WA's ports as is
necessary to make sure there are no interruptions. This will help to make sure
that we can get fuel from boat to bowser as quickly as possible. I can report
to the house that the Minister for Ports has already today spoken to the chief
executives of all the port authorities about these priorities. In addition,
fuel providers will respond to the needs of regional Western Australians with
timely restocking, with high-efficiency methods to be explored. The Minister
for Transport informs me that a meeting is taking place tomorrow between
industry and freight and logistics companies and the Department of Transport
and Major Infrastructure to explore what those options might look like. Fuel
retailers will also take immediate measures to address excessive stockpiling.
We heard some instances of that yesterday.
We will convene an
industry operational group chaired by the Minister for Energy and
Decarbonisation that will meet regularly to manage specific domestic supply
chain issues as they arise. Its first meeting is today. We will also continue
to work closely with industry to ensure that the public has access to
consistent, timely and factual information. That one is important. That was
raised a number of times yesterday. They want to hear less about the panic and
more about the reassurance. This is something we have been continuing to talk
to the community about—the fact that supply chains are being resilient,
but people need to be patient as we restock after those earlier peaks in
consumption.
The outcomes and
insights from our fuel security round table will support my government's
ongoing engagement with the federal government, which has announced its own
measures to address supply concerns. As I said, our experience of these things
is unique, but our industries are nationally significant. We need to keep
Western Australian industry going to make sure that the national economy keeps
going. I want to assure all Western Australians that my government is doing
everything it can to address concerns around fuel security. Although global
events are beyond our control, what is within our control is how we respond. As
I said, we Western Australians are at our best when we are working together in
a united way, with a unity of purpose, to make sure that we can withstand these
shocks and meet these challenges.
for the question. As the member is aware, we yesterday held our fuel security round
table, because my government knows that petrol and diesel are critical to the
Western Australian way of life. It is how our industry works. It is we get the
kids to school each day. It is how we get to work each day. Mr Speaker, it is
important to make sure that we respond as a community to the challenges we face
because of the Middle East conflict and the interruption to global oil supplies
that is creating uncertainty across our community. We cannot control an
overseas conflict, but we can control how we respond to the challenges it
brings. That is why the fuel security round table was so important. We met with
industry leaders and community stakeholders from right across the economy to
make sure that we could hear about the impacts from people on the ground and then
work together on ways that Western Australia can be more resilient in the face
of global shocks so that the government can support the community and industry.
I want to protect Western Australians from any impacts, and to do that we need
to keep WA strong.
During the round
table, the government was assured that the fuel supply to WA is continuing to
arrive uninterrupted. Representatives from oil companies said that there are
literally 18 ships on their way to Australia at the moment—three of
those to Port Hedland and three to Kwinana. I am pleased to share that my
government and industry have agreed on a number of actions to address concerns
here in WA.
Firstly, we will
investigate prioritising fuel and fertiliser imports through WA's ports as is
necessary to make sure there are no interruptions. This will help to make sure
that we can get fuel from boat to bowser as quickly as possible. I can report
to the house that the Minister for Ports has already today spoken to the chief
executives of all the port authorities about these priorities. In addition,
fuel providers will respond to the needs of regional Western Australians with
timely restocking, with high-efficiency methods to be explored. The Minister
for Transport informs me that a meeting is taking place tomorrow between
industry and freight and logistics companies and the Department of Transport
and Major Infrastructure to explore what those options might look like. Fuel
retailers will also take immediate measures to address excessive stockpiling.
We heard some instances of that yesterday.
We will convene an
industry operational group chaired by the Minister for Energy and
Decarbonisation that will meet regularly to manage specific domestic supply
chain issues as they arise. Its first meeting is today. We will also continue
to work closely with industry to ensure that the public has access to
consistent, timely and factual information. That one is important. That was
raised a number of times yesterday. They want to hear less about the panic and
more about the reassurance. This is something we have been continuing to talk
to the community about—the fact that supply chains are being resilient,
but people need to be patient as we restock after those earlier peaks in
consumption.
The outcomes and
insights from our fuel security round table will support my government's
ongoing engagement with the federal government, which has announced its own
measures to address supply concerns. As I said, our experience of these things
is unique, but our industries are nationally significant. We need to keep
Western Australian industry going to make sure that the national economy keeps
going. I want to assure all Western Australians that my government is doing
everything it can to address concerns around fuel security. Although global
events are beyond our control, what is within our control is how we respond. As
I said, we Western Australians are at our best when we are working together in
a united way, with a unity of purpose, to make sure that we can withstand these
shocks and meet these challenges.
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