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NSW Premier Chris Minns has assured residents that the state has an adequate petrol supply; however, he acknowledges the challenge lies in distribution to the areas where it’s most needed.
During a meeting in Sydney, Minns and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe engaged with farmers, truck drivers, and tradespeople to convey their commitment to addressing the petrol scarcity impacting rural communities across New South Wales.
Currently, approximately 32 out of the state’s 3,000 petrol stations are experiencing shortages, predominantly affecting remote regions.
In the western town of Tilpa, the depletion of diesel fuel is significantly affecting the community.
“If the situation remains unchanged or if fuel prices soar to $3 per litre, we will see a drastic decline in tourism,” remarked local pub owner Stacy Henman.
“We’re gonna run out of everything.”
Sharpe admitted it was becoming a problem.
“We don’t have a supply problem yet, what we do have is a distribution problem,” she said.
It is an issue that is being compounded by the closure of the Great Western Highway at the base of the Blue Mountains, cutting off a crucial supply link to the Central West.
“It is slowing down some of the major suppliers and some of the bigger tankers,” Transport Secretary Josh Murray said.
Peter Khoury from the NRMA said people panic buying petrol and storing it in jerry cans was also adding to the problem.
Bunnings stores across the state have sold out of many of their jerry cans in the last week.
”For every litre of diesel that’s sitting in someone’s garage in a jerry can from Bunnings, that’s one litre of diesel that’s not in the supply chain,” he said.
“That’s [fuel], truckies need to use and that farmers need to use.”
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