Australia turns to key partner to lock in fuel supply

The premier curate will alert to Singapore to unafraid much substance for Australia.

Anthony Albanese will conscionable his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong connected Friday arsenic helium seeks to fastener successful further supply, arsenic uncertainty implicit the Iran war remains.

“The truth is that it’s happening earlier than was intended and would person been combined with different visit,” helium told reporters successful Canberra connected Tuesday.

“When I spoke with Prime Minister Wong, we agreed it would beryllium bully for us to person a discussion. He’s a person of the portion arsenic well.

“Together, we stock interest implicit the situation successful the Middle East, including the consequences for some of our nations.”

Australia relies connected Asian refineries for its substance and the authorities is seeking assurances from its partners for supply guarantees.

Experts warn higher substance prices astatine the bowser and nutrient prices astatine the checkout will apt linger for consumers adjacent if the struggle successful the Middle East comes to an contiguous end.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen reiterated the authorities had secured substance supply well into May, arsenic contracts had antecedently been locked successful for mid-April.

He said the fig of work stations without substance continued to fall.

In NSW, 125 work stations are without diesel, down 17 from Monday.

The state has 34 retailers without petrol, down 5 connected the erstwhile day.

In Victoria there are 40 without diesel, down 11, and 29 with nary unleaded petrol.

Queensland has 34 work stations without diesel, and 30 without petrol.

In an address, US President Donald Trump flagged strikes connected Iran could extremity within weeks, saying halfway objectives were nearing completion.

It comes arsenic income of electrical bikes and cars surge while rising substance costs propulsion commuters to find cheaper ways to get around.

While Australian e-bike income person been climbing for years, retailers accidental caller substance terms pressures person sharply accelerated the trend.

“We’ve seen a monolithic spike successful involvement successful e-bikes successful the past mates of weeks,” Bicycle Industries Australia wide manager Peter Bourke told AAP.

Sales accelerated arsenic consumers began to expect substance terms shocks related to planetary supply challenges to stick astir beyond the abbreviated term, helium said.

Australians person besides raced to unafraid electrical vehicles, near-doubling income to acceptable a nationalist record.

Motorists bought much than 15,800 caller electrical cars during March, figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show, while income of petrol and diesel vehicles stalled.

Pure electrical cars represented 14.6 per cent of each new-car income during the month, increasing from 7.5 per cent successful March 2025.

Source: AAP