Panic Buying Forces Dozens of Australian Petrol Stations to Run Dry, Officials Warn
panic buying has left dozens of petrol stations across Australia without fuel as distributors struggle to meet surging demand amid the Middle East conflict, the NRMA and state. On Monday morning ET, the New South Wales government logged 32 out of 3, 000 service stations out of at least one fuel type while regional towns reported whole stations running dry. Officials and industry spokespeople warned that booming wholesale demand and early price hikes are driving shortages and record-high retail prices in major east coast cities.
Immediate shortages and government measures
The NRMA warned that regulators had “missed” a chance to stop price hikes and that wholesale demand is pushing fuel prices to a “permanent high” on the east coast, a dynamic that has left independent and regional outlets struggling to access supply. The New South Wales government said on Monday morning ET that 32 stations were out of at least one fuel type, noting distribution rather than a lack of overall national supply as the bottleneck. The federal government has allowed fuel companies to temporarily sell lower-quality petrol and to release about a fifth of their mandatory stockpile, with regional Australia to be prioritised, while ruling out formal fuel rationing.
Panic Buying ripples through regions and suppliers
Regional communities reported acute impacts as tankers and supplier prioritisation reshuffled deliveries. Brett Hosking, president of the Victorian Farmers Federation, said entire towns had run dry, naming Wedderburn, Bonnie Doon and Robinvale as affected, and warned that tankers could be emptied into stations near Melbourne before returning for additional loads. In Western Australia, Donelle Buegge, local shire president in Manjimup, said two service stations ran dry and that industrial fuel suppliers were limiting sales to 10, 000 litres per customer. Major suppliers Ampol, BP, Mobil and Viva Energy have prioritised regular customers, cutting off smaller groups that buy on the spot market, which independent stations say is worsening local shortages.
Voices from officials and industry
Premier Chris Minns said NSW had enough fuel but was struggling to distribute it to the regions as motorists stockpiled. “It’s harder to restock those petrol stations if they’ve got more than expected out of the bowser on any given day, ” he said. Brett Hosking added: “[Tankers] are going to find some fuel stations needing fuel very close to Melbourne and you’re probably going to empty your truck into there and then go back for another load. ” He also asked, “How do you ensure that when you’ve got 100, 000 city motorists crying out, saying ‘we need fuel too’, how can you guarantee that [tanker] truck will keep driving past them. ”
Donelle Buegge said independent outlets were being hit hardest: “The independent ones [stations] are probably doing it a little bit hard. BP are doing OK but Dunning’s and United, they seem to be struggling with their fuel supply. ” Peter Khoury, spokesperson for the NRMA, said retail prices for households and businesses were set to remain at near-record highs in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and blamed early price hikes by some stations for exacerbating the situation.
What’s next: distribution, stockpiles and watching the pumps
The immediate focus is on distribution and targeted releases of mandatory reserves to regional Australia, with industrial limits already imposed in some areas and lower-spec petrol temporarily permitted. Officials will monitor restocking rates and prioritisation of regional deliveries as retailers adjust to surging wholesale costs. If current patterns of panic buying continue, regulators and industry leaders will face renewed pressure to consider tougher controls on sales and delivery prioritisation, even as the federal government has so far ruled out rationing. Observers will be watching supply flows and price signals closely in the coming days as authorities attempt to steady markets and relieve regional shortages caused by panic buying.
