Share and Follow
In the small town of Batlow, there’s a noticeable absence of residents queuing up with jerry cans at the local petrol station—the only one in the area. The reason? The station has completely run out of fuel.
Located over 400 kilometers from Sydney, this independent service station exhausted its petrol supply earlier this week, with no indication of when the next shipment will arrive.
“We’re out of fuel, and the operator doesn’t have any on hand. There’s no telling when we’ll get more,” explained Sam Hughes, an employee at the Batlow service station, in an interview with nine.com.au.
Hughes noted that operators are struggling to procure fuel at a fair price, which puts independent stations like theirs in a difficult position.
“In this market, independents are being pushed out,” he remarked.
“We’re waiting to see if the market comes down or we get some sort of government assistance.”
Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr echoed Hughes’ fear that independent retailers are being squeezed out by big companies, leaving communities like Batlow to pay the price.
“I’m hearing of independent operators under quite a lot of pressure, not getting fuel, running low on fuel, even running out of fuel elsewhere too,” he told nine.com.au.
“That says to me, there is an issue with the system, this is not just panic buying.
“Batlow is a bit like the canary in the coal mine.”
Plenty of Batlow locals own acreages and need fuel for tractors and other machinery as well as their cars.
It’s also vital to the local agriculture industry, as well as emergency services in the region.
With the local servo all sold out, Batlow residents are being forced to drive 30 minutes away to Tumut for reliable fuel.
But if you’ve only got a quarter tank left, and there’s no public transport, that’s a big ask.
“It’s been a shock to the local population, especially in the lower socio-economic [bracket],” Hughes said.
”Hopefully there’s a bit of community spirit when it comes to jerry canning around.”
He added that Australians living in metropolitan areas don’t understand just how hard the fuel shortage has hit regional areas.
Because it’s not just Batlow struggling; it’s small towns across the entire nation.
And the shortage could have a significant long-term impact on those local economies.
“In regional areas, agriculture and truck transport are the lifeline of our economy,” McGirr said.
“They’re important for all of our wealth, so our focus on that is going to be pretty critical in the months ahead.”
Today, Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced the government will help address the fuel shortage by releasing up to 20 per cent of its local “rainy day” stockpiles for petrol and diesel.
It will free up more than 760 million litres of fuel from the nation’s domestic reserves.
Bowen said the government is also taking steps to prioritise supply to regional areas hit hardest by the shortage.
In the meantime, McGirr and Hughes said Batlow is a resilient community and will rally together until more fuel arrives.
When exactly that will be, however, remains unclear.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.