Albany drivers face rising fuel prices as Middle East tensions put pressure on oil supplies and local pumps

Albany drivers are starting to feel the impact of rising fuel prices as tensions in the Middle East place pressure on global oil supplies. The strain on fuel supplies caused by the conflict is already being felt in regional towns, with the impact now gradually reaching the Great Southern. Across Albany, fuel prices are steadily climbing with more outlets now charging more than $2.00 per litre. According to FuelWatch data on Wednesday, the highest diesel price was recorded at Shell Reddy Express Albany in Orana at $2.59 per litre. This was followed by Elleker General Store on Lower Denmark Road at $2.55 per lire and BP Spencer Park Service Station at $2.49 per litre. For unleaded petrol, the highest price on Wednesday was $2.19 per litre at both Shell Reddy Express Albany in Orana and Caltex in Mt Melville on Albany Highway. Service stations AMPM Beachway and AMPM Highway were slightly lower at $2.12 per litre. The cheapest unleaded in Albany on Wednesday was listed at $1.91 per litre at United Albany Central on Albany Highway. For diesel the lowest prices were $2.15 per litre at Liberty McKail and Liberty Oyster Harbour. In Denmark, FuelWatch data showed diesel reaching as high as $2.49 per litre at Petro Fuels Denmark on Wednesday while unleaded was listed at $2.22 per litre at BP Denmark. Some fuel stations across the city have pumps temporarily unavailable to customers likely due to supply pressures affecting deliveries into the region. Despite the price increases, Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said drivers should not be panic buying. “It is demand that’s driving the disruption, not the actual supply,” she told reporters on Tuesday. “All of the contracts are being filled, 100 per cent absolutely being filled. But where the disruption is occurring is where people are panic buying or stockpiling fuels, so we would respectfully ask that people don’t do that.” Ms Sanderson said the State Government was monitoring the situation and considering its options if supply issues worsen. “Everything’s on the table, and we’re watching it very closely,” Ms Sanderson said. “Certainly there are provisions in the Act, we’re looking closely at that, but we need to understand any potential unintended consequences here, and any potential disruption that that may cause as well.” She said WA had a 24-day supply of diesel in reserve, and would use it to help country fuel outlets that are running low. “Obviously that’s the sort of stuff we can explore in the context of this round table until we have more answers,” she said. “Look, we want everyone to not panic. I think that it goes for the retailers as well as the consumers.” Opposition leaders said the Government needed to recognise this as a problem and claimed that regional school buses were among transport services that had already run out of fuel. “The Premier clearly has his head in the sand, because yesterday he was saying that there’s no problem,” Nationals MP Lachlan Hunter said. “I literally had about 10 phone calls from farmers yesterday saying that they had to lay off staff, halt operations because there’s literally no fuel left in the tractors to prepare their paddocks for seeding. “We’ve heard from the northern end of the State . . . school buses can’t fill up their diesel, which is deeply concerning.” Leader of the Nationals Shane Love said recent supply disruptions highlighted the vulnerability of the State’s fuel supply chain despite government assurances about stockpiles. “WA’s economy relies heavily on secure fuel supplies, particularly for our mining and resources sector, transport and regional communities,” he said.