Australia faces a potential national shutdown within weeks, as alarming new data reveals the country’s fuel reserves — including diesel, petrol, and jet fuel — have reached critically low levels.
According to figures from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Australia has just 28 days of petrol, 24 days of diesel, and 20 days of jet fuel remaining in domestic supply. With only two refineries still operating — one in Brisbane and one in Victoria — the nation is heavily dependent on imports from Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, leaving it dangerously exposed to global disruptions.
Former independent senator Rex Patrick described the situation as “awful”, warning that years of government inaction have created a serious national security risk.
“It’s really the neglect of successive governments to deal with what is a national security issue,” he told Sky News. “If there’s a conflict or disruption to supplies from the Strait of Hormuz or Singapore, we’re in real trouble.”
Patrick stressed that the biggest threat is not to drivers, but to essential services such as supermarkets and hospitals.
“Most of our country relies on diesel. That’s what keeps all the trucks and trains running,” he said. “Supermarkets only have about ten days’ worth of dry food and a week of frozen goods. Hospitals have around three days of medical drugs before stocks run out.”
A sudden interruption in fuel imports could therefore “bring Australia to a standstill”, with empty shelves, halted transport, and major public health risks.
However, a spokesperson for Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen insisted that Australia remains “fuel secure”, claiming that the nation currently holds more reserves than at any time in the past 15 years.
But Patrick rejected this reassurance, noting that Australia’s oil import reserves sit at just 48 days, far below the 90-day minimum required under the International Energy Agency (IEA) treaty. The country has failed to meet this benchmark since 2012, making it the lowest among the 28 IEA member nations.
In contrast, Japan and South Korea hold reserves of over 200 days, while New Zealand maintains 91.
Patrick criticised the Albanese government for investing hundreds of billions in the AUKUS nuclear submarine program while neglecting Australia’s immediate fuel security.
“We’re spending vast sums on submarines that won’t be ready until the 2040s,” he said, “but ignoring the fact that our trucks could stop running within a month.”
The warning has reignited calls for Australia to rebuild domestic refining capacity and establish emergency stockpiles to safeguard critical industries and national infrastructure.
