Albanese launches national fuel taskforce as watchdog reveals investigation into suppliers

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has implored Australians to stop panic-buying fuel amid fears of a domestic supply crisis, as he announced a new taskforce designed to coordinate fuel supply and security between federal, state and territory governments.

Tasked with providing “consistent, co-ordinated updates” on supply to governments, the new body was announced shortly after Australia’s consumer watchdog launched an investigation into allegations of anticompetitive conduct by major fuel suppliers Ampol, Mobil and Viva Energy.

The fuel supply taskforce has started operations and will be led by former Australian Energy Regulator and Energy Security Board head Anthea Harris.

“The Commonwealth government is, of course, responsible for fuel security and supply, but it is the states and territories that are responsible for distribution. The best outcome is to ensure that Australia is over-prepared, and today’s announcement reinforces that approach,” Albanese said on Thursday morning.

“There are a range of forums being held, [including] the National Coordination Mechanism. All those meetings are continuing, but to have a single point of contact [on fuel security and supply chains] was a commonsense response.”

The announcement of Harris’ appointment comes two weeks after Environment Minister Murray Watt selected her to lead a review into the Water Act. Harris formerly held positions as the founding head of the Climate Change Authority and deputy secretary of the Victorian environment department’s energy group.

Harris’ role will put her in charge of supporting domestic fuel distribution, particularly helping get petrol to regional areas with high demand.

Opposition finance spokeswoman Claire Chandler said the announcement “certainly sounds like a move in the right direction”, but a judgment of the taskforce’s success would have to come later.

“I’m sure there will be many Australians watching the PM’s press conference from earlier today saying: ‘Well, this sounds like a good start, but what is the actual impact of this task force going to be? How are they going to be able to keep fuel prices more reasonable, fuel security more reliable?’” Chandler told Sky News.

“I think there are still some key questions for the prime minister and his team to answer there, and I certainly hope that they will do so in the coming days.”

Speaking in Hobart, Albanese said there was more fuel in the country today than there was three weeks ago, as he maintained the government’s argument that any fuel crisis was being driven by demand not supply.

“The Minister for Foreign Affairs [Penny Wong] is engaging key international counterparts to help ensure the continued flow of fuel and diesel shipments to Australia from our trading partners, and I’ve been engaged in that process as well. My government will be announcing more measures to prepare the nation for supply chain challenges over coming days and weeks,” Albanese said.

“Our fuel supply is currently secure. However, I want us to be over-prepared. I understand there are Australians in some parts of our nation that are really worried as they watch what is unfolding in the Middle East, and that is understandable,” Albanese said.

“But we’re doing all that we can to secure our fuel supply and to get it to the places that need it. I again reiterate today [that] my message to Australians is, please do not take more fuel than you need. That is how you can help,” he said.

Each state and territory will nominate a “point person” to liaise with the taskforce.

Earlier, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission revealed it was investigating Ampol, Mobil and Viva Energy over “diesel availability to independent wholesalers and distributors servicing regional and rural Australia”.

“The ACCC is closely scrutinising all fuel markets during this period, and we have received reports of alleged anti-competitive behaviour. We are therefore investigating these matters urgently,” the watchdog’s chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said.

“It is not our usual practice to publicly announce investigations, but given the significance of the issue, the ACCC is confirming this enforcement investigation,” she said.

Some petrol stations in regional parts of the country have run dry since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. The Coalition has argued the government is asleep at the wheel during a fuel supply crisis caused by mismanagement of supply chains. Labor has said the crisis is being spurred by panic-buying rather than a supply issue, and that oil shipments into the country continue to arrive as expected.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.