MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan has again urged the Federal Government to stop denying there is a fuel supply problem and start addressing it.
Fuel prices across the region have skyrocketed and many independent fuel suppliers are experiencing long periods without anything in their tanks.
“Diesel in Armidale has now reached $3.39 per litre and regionally based independent fuel suppliers warn the situation is likely to get worse,” Mr Moylan said.
“Despite this, Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen continues to claim there is no problem.
“At the same time, the NSW Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, admitted on Monday during budget estimates she had not even contacted her federal counterparts about the growing fuel supply crisis affecting regional communities.”
Mr Moylan has been approached by numerous independent distributors, who supply fuel to smaller towns across regional NSW, who say they are being refused diesel by the major wholesalers.
“This crisis is unfolding just as farmers prepare to plant winter crops and cotton picking across northern NSW is due to start in the coming weeks, industries that depend entirely on reliable diesel supply,” he said.
“The Federal Government has the power to act but so far has done little to ease the pain.
“If wholesalers are deliberately squeezing out independent suppliers and regional communities are being forced to pay the price, it would represent a serious failure of competition law enforcement.
“Regional NSW should not be left to deal with fuel shortages or opportunistic wholesale prices while governments in Sydney and Canberra pretend nothing is wrong,” Mr Moylan said.
