Over 500 Australia Fuel Stations Run Dry Amid Mideast Crisis

(MENAFN) Fuel shortages are tightening their grip across Australia, with over 500 service stations reporting depleted stocks of at least one fuel type and dozens having run completely dry, as the nation's heavy dependence on imports leaves it increasingly exposed to global supply shocks.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed that 520 stations nationwide are currently experiencing shortages of at least one fuel variety, media reported.

In New South Wales alone, the scale of the crisis is stark: of approximately 2,400 stations across the state, 32 have been left with no fuel whatsoever, 313 are missing at least one product they would ordinarily carry, and 187 have run out of diesel entirely, authorities said.

Officials stressed that every station to have run completely dry is located in a regional area, underscoring the disproportionate burden being shouldered by rural communities. Authorities were careful to frame the crisis as a distribution failure rather than a broader collapse in national supply levels.

The federal government has moved swiftly to contain the fallout. Among the measures introduced, diesel fuel standards have been temporarily relaxed for a period of six months to expand available supply. Bowen further confirmed that a portion of the country's strategic fuel reserves has been unlocked to help stabilize availability across affected areas.

The shortages arrive at a precarious moment for Australia, a nation structurally reliant on fuel imports and now facing compounding vulnerabilities as surging regional demand and deepening instability stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict continue to rattle global energy supply chains.

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