1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,960 S1: For the second time in just a few days. Brett 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,000 S1: Hosking Good morning. 3 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:04,680 S2: Good morning Tom. How are you doing? 4 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,280 S1: Good. So is the diesel crisis getting that bad that 5 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,320 S1: it's a choice now. I think the Herald Sun has 6 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,720 S1: put it we either get fuel or food. 7 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,079 S2: Well it is presenting some challenges. I mean, we've heard 8 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:19,560 S2: the stories of, you know, avocados not getting harvested and 9 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:23,600 S2: things like that. Um, we've seen towns like Robinvale, Wedderburn, 10 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,040 S2: Bonny Doon run out of fuel. Uh, it is a 11 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,800 S2: real it's a real crisis at the moment in terms 12 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,280 S2: of we need to, we need to ensure on our farms, 13 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,920 S2: which our farms don't run on calendars. They run on 14 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,879 S2: on when the weather tells them the right time to 15 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,000 S2: act is. We need to make sure that they have 16 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,640 S2: the resources there. At those times, they're being told to act, 17 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:44,960 S2: to be able to act. And if we don't have 18 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,080 S2: the fuel on farm, we can't just sit there and say, hey, 19 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,320 S2: don't rain for a few days. I need a fuel 20 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,519 S2: delivery to come first. We actually have to we have 21 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,400 S2: to find a way to respond. So that's where we're 22 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:56,320 S2: at at the moment. 23 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,320 S1: See, one of the biggest problems is the most popular 24 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,720 S1: form of, you know, consumer vehicle in Australia these days 25 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,160 S1: is diesel powered utes, you youths. You know, the Ford Ranger, 26 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,240 S1: the Toyota Hilux, like this is not tradies and farmers. 27 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,679 S1: This is everyday people saying, that's my go to vehicle 28 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:13,720 S1: for just about everything I want to do. 29 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,920 S2: Yeah, that's absolutely true. And, um, and I mean, the 30 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,520 S2: stats are quite simple. You know, if, if 1 in 31 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,880 S2: 5 Victorians left their car at home. Uh, so just 32 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,399 S2: 1 in 5, uh, that would free up enough fuel 33 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,880 S2: to so half of Australia's winter winter crop. So our canola, 34 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,679 S2: our wheat, our barley, our lentils, our chickpeas, half of 35 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,240 S2: that could be sown just by 1 in 5 Victorians 36 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,600 S2: making a choice to find another way to get to work. Um, 37 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:41,640 S2: you know, even if but. 38 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,560 S1: Sorry, but is it but is it 1 in 5? 39 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,000 S1: Because I mean, I drive a petrol powered car like 40 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,160 S1: a lot of people do. So if I don't drive that, 41 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,120 S1: that doesn't really help you too much, does it? Because 42 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,840 S1: you can't just go and put petrol in farm machinery. 43 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,760 S2: Well, at the moment we've got a delivery challenge, like 44 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,640 S2: we've got a supply chain challenge. So the diesel is 45 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,200 S2: there at the refineries. It's just not on the farms. 46 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,960 S2: So getting it to the farm. So if if a 47 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,090 S2: truck suddenly doesn't have to carry as much as much petrol, 48 00:02:08,090 --> 00:02:10,609 S2: as much unleaded. You can actually fill a compartment with 49 00:02:10,610 --> 00:02:12,810 S2: diesel and get a bit more diesel out. So it 50 00:02:12,810 --> 00:02:13,450 S2: does help. 51 00:02:13,490 --> 00:02:15,130 S1: What about public transport? 52 00:02:16,010 --> 00:02:19,970 S2: Yep, yep. Public transport uses fuel. But we're actually conveying 53 00:02:19,970 --> 00:02:22,810 S2: a whole lot more people on public transport. I mean, 54 00:02:22,850 --> 00:02:25,330 S2: there's some simple levers government could play in this. I 55 00:02:25,330 --> 00:02:28,210 S2: mean they could make public transport free. Just until we 56 00:02:28,210 --> 00:02:30,890 S2: get through this crisis. They could encourage people to use it. 57 00:02:30,930 --> 00:02:33,329 S2: They could add a few extra services. So we're not 58 00:02:33,330 --> 00:02:36,490 S2: crammed in like sardines. So it's actually an appealing choice 59 00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:41,970 S2: rather than an unappealing choice. Um, so yes, um public 60 00:02:42,010 --> 00:02:44,810 S2: transport uses fuel, but if we've got more people on it, 61 00:02:44,850 --> 00:02:46,810 S2: that's overcome the problem straight away. 62 00:02:46,850 --> 00:02:49,210 S1: I never thought I'd say this, but should more of 63 00:02:49,210 --> 00:02:50,770 S1: us consider working from home? 64 00:02:51,490 --> 00:02:53,370 S2: Yeah, I know I'm a bit the same. I'm not 65 00:02:53,370 --> 00:02:55,450 S2: a work from home. I mean, I do work from 66 00:02:55,450 --> 00:02:58,770 S2: home every day, but, um, uh, but yeah, I agree 67 00:02:58,770 --> 00:03:00,730 S2: with you. Maybe there's days when we could make that 68 00:03:00,730 --> 00:03:03,170 S2: choice to work from home. Maybe there's days where we 69 00:03:03,169 --> 00:03:05,450 S2: could work in with a, you know, a work mate 70 00:03:05,450 --> 00:03:08,730 S2: and carpool together. Um, there's, there are some really simple 71 00:03:08,730 --> 00:03:10,490 S2: things and we're not forcing anyone to do it. do it. 72 00:03:10,530 --> 00:03:12,250 S2: We're not saying you must do this, but what we 73 00:03:12,250 --> 00:03:13,490 S2: are saying is it will help. 74 00:03:14,410 --> 00:03:17,130 S1: Could we or should we make public transport free for 75 00:03:17,130 --> 00:03:19,770 S1: a while to encourage more people to take well, particularly 76 00:03:19,770 --> 00:03:22,489 S1: trains and trams, which are powered by electricity as opposed 77 00:03:22,490 --> 00:03:24,930 S1: to buses, which by and large are diesel. Should we 78 00:03:24,970 --> 00:03:26,410 S1: should the government consider that? 79 00:03:27,130 --> 00:03:29,489 S2: Well, I think when the government saying, you know, oh, 80 00:03:29,490 --> 00:03:31,970 S2: it'll sort itself out, don't worry about it, that's a 81 00:03:31,970 --> 00:03:35,290 S2: pretty simple lever that they could pull to actually give 82 00:03:35,290 --> 00:03:37,610 S2: us confidence in, in the fact that it is just 83 00:03:37,610 --> 00:03:40,530 S2: a supply situation and it will level out. They could 84 00:03:40,530 --> 00:03:42,970 S2: actually say to speed that up, we're going to help 85 00:03:42,970 --> 00:03:45,810 S2: every every Australian out. We're going to help every Victorian out. 86 00:03:45,850 --> 00:03:48,730 S2: In the case of our Victorian state government. So it 87 00:03:48,730 --> 00:03:51,970 S2: seems a pretty simple lever just to make public transport free. 88 00:03:52,010 --> 00:03:53,490 S2: It might be for a week, it might be for 89 00:03:53,490 --> 00:03:56,450 S2: a fortnight, it might be for a month. Um, but 90 00:03:56,730 --> 00:03:59,809 S2: it seems like a really obvious and simple solution. 91 00:04:00,290 --> 00:04:03,370 S1: And finally, um, we had an email that alerted me 92 00:04:03,370 --> 00:04:05,290 S1: to this. But of course, most V line trains, if 93 00:04:05,290 --> 00:04:07,970 S1: not all, are actually diesel powered. Are you are you 94 00:04:08,010 --> 00:04:11,170 S1: worried about the status of V line in this diesel shortage? 95 00:04:12,170 --> 00:04:16,780 S2: Yeah. Look I My assumption is always that when things 96 00:04:16,779 --> 00:04:21,900 S2: get tight, things like public transport, like hospitals, like emergency vehicles, 97 00:04:21,900 --> 00:04:24,500 S2: they're all going to be prioritized. And, and I think 98 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:27,980 S2: we'd all agree they should be. Um, the challenge is 99 00:04:28,020 --> 00:04:30,260 S2: where does that leave us long term with food on 100 00:04:30,260 --> 00:04:33,300 S2: our supermarket shelf? Where does that leave us long term with, um, 101 00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:36,820 S2: you know, with our growing economy, um, you know, we 102 00:04:36,860 --> 00:04:39,580 S2: need fuel for all sectors of the economy. We're already 103 00:04:39,580 --> 00:04:43,180 S2: hearing of truck drivers having to increase freight rates. That's 104 00:04:43,180 --> 00:04:46,420 S2: already going to bite at the supermarket shelf. So it 105 00:04:46,420 --> 00:04:47,260 S2: is a challenge. 106 00:04:47,420 --> 00:04:49,500 S1: Alright, look thank you Brett. I appreciate your time. Brett 107 00:04:49,540 --> 00:04:52,540 S1: Hosking the president of the VF. So if you can 108 00:04:52,540 --> 00:04:56,300 S1: avoid driving the diesel ute or SUV, do avoid it. 109 00:04:56,660 --> 00:05:00,099 S1: If you can take a tram or a train to work, 110 00:05:00,140 --> 00:05:02,980 S1: do that. They're powered by electricity, which is itself powered 111 00:05:02,980 --> 00:05:06,339 S1: by coal. But let's just put that to one side. Um, 112 00:05:07,260 --> 00:05:09,979 S1: you know, food or fuel. And again, we're going to 113 00:05:10,020 --> 00:05:11,660 S1: put in a call or we have put in a 114 00:05:11,660 --> 00:05:13,979 S1: call to v line because I just want to remember 115 00:05:13,980 --> 00:05:16,700 S1: it just said he assumes that fuel is set aside 116 00:05:16,700 --> 00:05:17,740 S1: for V line. Well is it.