The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA) has welcomed steps to address fuel security concerns after attending the State Government’s fuel roundtable this week.
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The March 11 meeting brought together industry representatives to discuss the potential impact of the Middle East conflict on fuel supply and prices in WA.
CCIWA Chief Economist Dr Daniel Kiely said the situation was already affecting businesses across the State.
“The Gulf conflict and the impact on fuel supply and prices is having an impact across the WA business community, and that impact flows on to the cost of other goods,” he said.
CCIWA Chief Economist Dr Daniel Kiely
Kiely said there was “no simple solution” to the issue, but businesses and households needed governments to provide certainty and clarity around fuel and supply chain security.
“We are particularly concerned about the impact on our Members in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors, as well as those operating in regional WA,” he said.
“This conflict has not only driven up the cost of the fuel they need to run equipment. It’s also driving up the costs of other inputs like fertiliser and petrochemicals due to shipping constraints through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Several actions were agreed following the roundtable to help manage fuel supply concerns, including:
- Investigating the prioritisation of fuel and fertiliser imports through WA ports.
- Ensuring timely fuel restocking for regional Western Australians.
- Exploring the use of higher efficiency vehicles or road trains to support fuel deliveries to regional areas.
- Taking steps to address excessive stockpiling by fuel retailers.
- Establishing an Industry Operational Group to meet weekly and manage domestic supply chain issues.
- Continuing collaboration between industry and government to raise WA priorities with the Federal Government.
- Coordinating public messaging to reassure Western Australians that fuel supply continues to arrive in the State.
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