1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Sam Imory, Australia correspondents with US now. 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 2: Hello Sam, Hello Heather, what a great way to let 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 2: out some energy. 4 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: I reckon. I tempted to get you, but now let's not. 5 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: Let's talk about seriously. So some of your gas stations 6 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: have run out? 7 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, Heather, I'm in regional New South Wales, was about 8 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,119 Speaker 2: three hours south of Sydney, and there are plenty of 9 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 2: people whose livelihoods depend on fuel here. About an hour 10 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 2: ago I found out there's two Shell petrol stations that 11 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 2: have closed. You know, we're talking people who live here 12 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 2: with transport, farmers, even the smaller landscapers and rural developers 13 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:36,200 Speaker 2: are having to put projects on hold. Petrol and fuel 14 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 2: has reached three dollars across the country, with hundreds of 15 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 2: stations reporting they're either out of diesel or unleaded, some 16 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 2: of them just shutting all together. Demand has spiked by 17 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 2: three hundred to four hundred percent in some areas and 18 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 2: mostly driven by panic buying. If you can believe it, 19 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: The government has now released roughly twenty percent of Australia's 20 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: strategic fuel reserves into the market. The Energy Minister says 21 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: the government will temporary, temporarily lower the fuel quality for 22 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 2: sixty days. That's allowing higher sulfur fuel to be sold 23 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 2: and adding around one hundred million extra leaders to the 24 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: market per month. So the critics have pointed out that 25 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 2: Australia is the only ie A member not holding the 26 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 2: mandatory ninety day fuel reserve, and sadly that's the requirement 27 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: we haven't met since twenty twelve. The new South Wales 28 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 2: premier is calling for a nationally consistent response. Some commentators 29 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: are already drawing comparisons to the COVID era restrictions. So 30 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 2: I think it's fair for us all really to be 31 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 2: asking how and why did we not learn the lessons 32 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 2: back then? And that's this important dependency on refined fuels 33 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 2: being a live stress test of what energy insecurity looks 34 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 2: like and heather. Interestingly, some locals here think it's a 35 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 2: good idea for governments to make public transport free for 36 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 2: those living in the city so they can send the 37 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 2: fuel supply to regional producers and transport interesting point. 38 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, where do you think Barnaby Joyce is sitting in 39 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 3: terms of public opinion calling for fuel rationing? Will most 40 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 3: people be behind them or accuse them of panicking? 41 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: People. I think most will sort of be used to 42 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 2: barnaby yelling at us, and probably many would be saying, 43 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: won't you in power when you had the chance to 44 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 2: actually put these reserves in place. I think it'll be 45 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: a mixed response. But now that he's you know, under 46 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 2: the one nation banner, he seems to be sort of 47 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: talking a bit more to the people who want to 48 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 2: try and sort of fight against the government and push 49 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 2: against the big corporates. But I think hypocrisy is where 50 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: it's landing. 51 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 3: Interesting now, Queensland explain to me why they want to 52 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 3: hold the Olympic rowing in twenty thirty two in a 53 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 3: crosstile habitat, Like, what's the thinking here? 54 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 2: This is the head scratcher that not many people could 55 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 2: really rationalize the thinking. Yet, so Queensland government is pressing 56 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 2: your head with this crocodile infested river. It's the Rockhampton's 57 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 2: Fitzroy River remains the only site being considered and they're 58 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: sort of digging their heels in here. Despite a mounting backlash. 59 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 2: The Games Authority study reportedly found the river would need 60 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 2: to be significantly widened and dredged just to meet the 61 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 2: Olympic competition requirements, and as you mentioned, this is also 62 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 2: a known freshwater crocodile habitat. That's a pretty big point. 63 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 2: Rowing Australia says it's not even the crocodiles that are 64 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 2: the problem. Their concern is the current favoring certain lanes 65 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 2: would obviously breach international rules, unless, of course, it's Australia 66 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 2: in the faster lanes. Surprisingly, though other options do exist. 67 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:29,959 Speaker 2: There's a damn near Gold Coast, there's another down down 68 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: just south of Brisbane. Even the Sydney venue could be 69 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: used in Penis, which was obviously for the Olympics, but 70 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 2: the Queensland Deputy Premier remains saying rowing in Rocky is 71 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 2: rowing in the right direction. 72 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 3: Jay's honestly not the hell to die on. Hey, thank you, 73 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 3: Sam appreciated. Sam Emory, Australia correspondent. 74 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 75 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 76 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.