Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:24): My question is to the Premier. The Premier’s media release this morning stated, ‘Right now, there is enough fuel for normal demand.’ Why then did Robinvale run out of fuel on the weekend, while farmers, trucking companies and families across regional Victoria are being subject to restrictions and rationing?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:24): I have said a couple of times in the house today already that it is understandable that Victorians and indeed people around the nation and around the world are looking at the ongoing conflict in Iran and are both concerned and anxious about what it means in terms of the pressures it is putting on their household budgets and also understandably concerned about the potential impact it has on supply. I say to the Leader of the National Party that the last thing that should be happening right now is alarmist claims that put further pressure on families and households, and I say it in this context –

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Mildura can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Jade Benham interjected.

The SPEAKER: Make that an hour and a half.

Member for Mildura withdrew from chamber.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is debating the question. Robinvale ran out. It is not alarmist; it is a fact.

The SPEAKER: The Premier is answering the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: As I was part way through saying to the Leader of the National Party, it is concern about supply that is driving people to, understandably, go and look at fuelling up or putting in place fuel reserves, but it comes at a time when the very clear advice and message from the federal government is that Australia has adequate supply of fuel sources for a period of time and that supply continues to come into the country. The issue particularly for Robinvale, as I am advised, is that the service station is not supplied by one of the major fuel retailers. The service station at Robinvale is an independent operator and therefore receives its fuel distribution from what is known as the spot market. There has been, as we have seen also in New South Wales and in Queensland –

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order on the question of relevance, Speaker, the question was not just about Robinvale but about all of regional Victoria. This is not one station’s problem.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant.

Jacinta ALLAN: I am advised that Robinvale has been resupplied with fuel. What I was saying is this is something that is also being experienced by small communities in Queensland and New South Wales, and it underscores the point of why we met this morning as a committee of cabinet. It is why the minister for energy has been working and officials have been working to ensure that we provide support to our communities and adequate supply continues to reach those parts of the country that may be seeing fuel supplies under pressure not because of supply but because of a spike in demand that is understandable as a result of people being concerned about the conflict in Iran. It is a responsibility of all of us to both support the community and also be prepared, which is why, as I announced this morning, we are putting in place a state controller to both monitor and enact readiness plans.

 Danny O’BRIEN (Gippsland South) (14:28): The Premier mentioned the New South Wales Labor government, which has done a deal with the fuel industry to ensure regional areas are well supplied. Will the Victorian government do likewise to ensure regional areas have the fuel they need?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:28): The advice I have from the minister for energy, who I will refer to as the expert source on these matters, is that that claim is not correct – the claim that the Leader of the National Party made in his statement. The Leader of the National Party’s question underscores the point I was making earlier. This is a time for everyone with the opportunity to show leadership to demonstrate that and not cause additional alarm. We stand ready. We have enacted the state controller, where we are monitoring and putting in place readiness plans. We are working with the Commonwealth, and the minister and I are holding a round table with industry this afternoon to ensure that we not only are hearing from Victorian industry about their needs but will be responding accordingly and doing so in a context where we will continue to work with the Commonwealth government.