PUBLIC STATEMENT - Fuel Supply Issue

Published on 31 March 2026

Our country is grappling with a fuel supply crisis that has the potential to cause widespread issues for our region.

As a Council, we are acutely aware of how essential it is for our local businesses and residents to have an affordable and readily available fuel supply in our rural Shire.

A stable fuel supply is an essential input in our local economy and community. It drives our cropping and farming industries, it transports the groceries our residents need, it allows us to move between our local communities and to-and-from our major commerce centres and it is essential for the viability of our local tourism industry.

To date, we have been mostly immune to the fuel supply availability issues arising from the Middle East conflict, as most of our retail fuel outlets in the Shire have had supply, however this situation is now starting to change with impacts to some retail fuel supply outlets in the region.

Beyond the availability issues, the fuel price surge has the potential to create far-reaching impacts to our whole nation if not addressed in the short term.

We welcome the Federal Government’s halving of the fuel excise for three months and recognise this as a step in the right direction but expect fuel prices to remain higher than normal.

We are well aware of the important role our tourism operators play for our local economy and community, and we understand that the current fuel price hikes may create an imminent detrimental impact on the amount of intrastate and interstate tourists choosing to travel by road to visit our beautiful region.

Council is acting to support tourism operators and local businesses before this matter causes significant long-term impacts to our tourism industry and operators.

Over this past week, our Mayor joined together with other Mayor’s from the South West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils to meet with State and Federal Ministers to raise potential impacts to our tourism operators and local businesses in the Shire as a result of this fuel supply issue.

In addition to this, Council’s tourism team is meeting daily with Tourism departments and key Tourism bodies to ensure the potential issues facing tourism operators are appropriately identified and raised in a collaborative manner to our Country’s decision makers.

Council is reviewing all work-related travel to reduce the impacts these fuel costs will have on Council’s operating costs.

We are urging people to please refrain from panic buying and stockpiling of fuel supplies during this period, as it will only serve to exacerbate the fuel supply issue.

As a Council, we will continue to do what we can to support and advocate for our local businesses and tourism operators through this challenging time.

Mayor Samantha O’Toole

BALONNE SHIRE COUNCIL