SA AND OTHER REMOTE COMMUNITIES AT SIGNIFICANT RISK AS FUEL SHORTAGE BITES

Remote communities in South Australia must not be invisible victims of the Albanese Labor Government’s fuel crisis incompetence.

In South Australia, as of 25 March, 49 fuel outlets reported empty tanks for at least one or more fuel types. There are reports in the APY Lands of some tanks being empty and others at significant risk of running dry.

Store operators in the APY Lands are reporting no more than two weeks of fuel supply remaining, with serious concerns about their ability to afford replenishment.

Diesel in the APY Lands is already above $3.50 a litre and expected to reach $4.20 per litre within weeks. With each order requiring four loads at a time, operators are facing fuel costs of $80,000 to $100,000 per order – an outlay that is simply not manageable for small remote stores.

Freight costs into these communities have risen 33 percent, and store operators have been absorbing that pressure to protect residents for as long as they can. But with many locals on fixed incomes or government support, the cost of living in the APY Lands was already a significant challenge before this latest crisis.

With vast distances between fuel points, APY Lands residents must not be forgotten. The Albanese Government has failed to plan, failed to respond, and failed to take accountability, and it is remote communities paying the price.

Report your fuel issue directly to www.nofuelhere.com.au to keep your Coalition MPs or Senators across what is happening in your local community, as the Albanese Government fails to provide answers.