This fuel crisis could last for a while. It’s time for a new approach to fuel use – end it

SYDNEY: (Apr 20) Australia is in the middle of a fuel crisis, but the way the state and federal governments have chosen to respond signals a firm commitment to fossil fuels.

In a matter of days, Canberra found billions of dollars to make petrol and diesel cheaper. The temporary halving of the fuel excise is costing about $2.55 billion over three months (plus GST returns), simply to blunt the pain of oil prices without changing Australia’s dependence on oil.

Add in relief for heavy vehicles and loans to fuel-intensive businesses, and you have a crisis package that keeps the existing, oil-hungry system running. Fuel security, in this framing, means securing fuel, not securing mobility.