Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Right now in regional Australia, something is happening that should stop us in our tracks. Farmers—the people who feed this country—are being forced to guard their fuel like it's cash. Diesel is being siphoned from tanks, equipment is being drained overnight and, instead of sleeping, farmers are staying up, patrolling their own properties and trying to protect what little supply they have left.

This is not normal, and it is not acceptable. When a farmer has to become a security guard just to keep their operation running, something has gone seriously wrong. It doesn't end at the farm gate: in Victoria, police are now increasing patrols across farming communities, tracking hotspots, monitoring rural roads and diverting already stretched resources to deal with fuel theft—this in a state that has become the crime capital of Australia.

Victoria Police are already under-resourced, underpaid and overworked, dealing with rising youth crime, home invasions, domestic violence and mental health callouts. Now we are asking them to pick up the pieces of fuel supply failure as well. This is what happens when governments lose control of supply, cost pressures and law and order. Australians deserve better.