Why Food Security Starts At The Bowser

Opinion Piece by Andrew Willcox MP

In the city, a spike in fuel prices is a frustration; a reason to grumble at the dinner table or perhaps cancel a weekend drive. But in the regions, and specifically here in Dawson, fuel isn't a luxury or a lifestyle choice. It is the lifeblood of our economy.

Right now, that lifeblood is under threat, and it’s time we had a serious conversation about what is happening. We are currently facing global volatility, domestic supply rationing, and a federal government that seems content to watch from the sidelines, while our primary producers are pushed to the brink.

Our farmers in the Burdekin, the Whitsundays, and Mackay are some of the most resilient people you’ll ever meet. They deal with droughts, floods, and cyclones. But there is one thing they cannot work their way out of: a dry fuel tank.

A harvester doesn’t operate on hope. A tractor preparing a paddock for the next crop doesn’t run on good intentions. They run on diesel. And when fuel wholesalers begin rationing supply, or cuts it off altogether, it creates a terrifying ripple effect. If a farmer in Bowen or Gumlu can’t get a quote for a forward delivery, or if their regular supplier suddenly stops mid-week because the "big four" oil companies are tightening the taps, the work stops.

When the work stops on the farm, the clock starts ticking in the supermarket.

Most people don't see the journey their food takes. It starts with fuel in a tractor to grow the crop. It needs fuel for the truck to get it to the processor and then onto market, and more fuel for the semi-trailer to deliver it to the shelves in town.

If you break any one of those links by making fuel unavailable or unaffordable, you don't just get higher prices; you get empty shelves.

This is a fundamental food security issue for every Australian. Under Labor, we are seeing a return to a 1940s-style rationing mentality that has no place in a modern, "lucky" country like ours.

The Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, has done nothing other than deflect, while regional wholesalers are being told not to send their trucks to the ports because there is nothing for them.

The Albanese Government claims there is "plenty of supply," but the reality on the ground in Dawson tells a different story. We are hearing that the major oil companies are prioritising their own retail outlets and hedging their bets against price shifts, leaving the secondary wholesalers, the ones who actually service our farmers and truckies, left holding an empty hose.

The Minister has the power under the Petroleum and Other Fuels Reporting Act to step in, identify the gaps, and ensure our essential industries are prioritised. Why isn't he using it?

On top of the supply crisis, we are seeing blatant price gouging. As I’ve said before, it takes nearly two weeks for global wholesale price changes to hit our local bowsers. Yet, we have seen prices jump up to 40 cents in an afternoon. That isn't market forces, that is war profiteering, and the ACCC needs to be instructed by the Treasurer to show some teeth and prosecute those doing the wrong thing.

Australians are already living through a Labor-created cost-of-living crisis. Adding a fuel security crisis on top of that is a recipe for disaster.

Our farmers and truckies are vital in keeping our nation running and fed. They are the ones who ensure that when you walk into a shop, there is bread, milk, meat, fruit and veggies on the shelves. They deserve a government that treats fuel security as a national priority, not a political inconvenience.

It’s time to stop the talk, unlock the supply, and ensure that the engines of North Queensland keep turning.

Because when the tractors and trucks stop, Australia stops.

Caption: Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox MP with Carl Walker, Bowen farmer and Chair of Bowen Gumlu Growers. Producers like Mr Walker are now facing significant uncertainty due to the national fuel security crisis. Photos supplied

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