Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I can certainly assure Transwest and ensure the House and ensure every Australian that our fuel supplies are secure, with more fuel coming to Australia every day. I can assure Transwest and assure the member for Groom that 18 vessels have arrived this month to unload fuel and crude oil in Australia, and 33 more vessels are on the water and scheduled for the rest of the month. The chief executives I've spoken to have assured me that there is absolutely no reason to suspect that they won't arrive on time and as expected. I can also inform Transwest and the House that our minimum stock obligation, which this government put in place to be held in Australia for Australians at times of crisis, is in place with three billion litres of diesel and 1½ billion litres of petrol in place that will be called upon as necessary.

I can also inform Transwest and the House that we are seeing increased demand. I think the honourable member referred to the Newcastle and Brisbane terminals. Demand at the Newcastle terminal is up 136 per cent and demand at the Brisbane terminal is up 115 per cent. That will put pressure on supply. It will when that happens. It doesn't matter, to be fair, who's in office at that time. When you see doubling of demand, it's going to cause some pressures on supply in the short-term. But, nationally, our stocks are good. We are working cooperatively with the industry to ensure that it is delivered to the regions that are experiencing shortages as quickly and as efficiently as possible, with the supply chain constraints that are in place, with the transport restrictions, natural restrictions of the size of the transport industry that are in place, and that work will continue. We'll work with anybody of good faith with any good ideas. I'm yet to hear one from the opposition.

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