Australians feel petrol pinch as panic buying drives shortages

But the government insists fuel shipments are arriving on schedule. Read more at straitstimes.com.

SYDNEY – The cheapest fuel had run out, and a man filled red jerry cans at a petrol station on Sydney’s metropolitan fringe on March 16 as drivers anxious about soaring prices queued up.

Panic buying, since Iranian attacks on ships effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli strikes, has seen petrol prices soar half a world away in Australia – even as the government insists fuel shipments are arriving on schedule.

“I can drive up to 500km a week,” landscaper Emma Futterleib said as she filled up her diesel pickup at a service station in Penrith on the western outskirts of Sydney.

“It hurts the budget, that’s for sure. Just trying to be a bit careful on how much we are spending on groceries,” she added.

Australia is heavily reliant on fuel imports from Asia, as many are accustomed to driving vast distances for work or leisure.

In its most populous state of New South Wales – home to sprawling metropolitan Sydney – census data shows 1.6 million people drove to work, compared with just over 140,000 taking public transport.