The Liberals and Nationals are calling on the Labor Government to immediately publish its plan for activating and distributing Victoria’s 10 million litre agricultural diesel reserve as farmers head into the critical harvest period.
The Labor Government announced the reserve in May, promising it would give Victorian farmers confidence that fuel would be available when they needed it most and help protect the state’s food security.
But with harvest beginning, farmers still don’t know how they would actually access a single litre of the reserve if fuel supplies tighten.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture Emma Kealy said farmers deserved answers before the headers started rolling.
“There is no food security without fuel security, you can’t harvest a crop without diesel,” Ms Kealy said.
“Labor bought 10 million litres of diesel and told farmers it would protect them at harvest, but where is the plan to actually get that fuel to farmers if they need it?”
Labor’s reserve can only be released if Level 4 of the National Fuel Security Plan is activated, despite the Government saying the fuel was secured specifically to protect Victorian agriculture.
Farmers are already facing soaring diesel prices and workforce shortages as Federal Labor’s bungling of working holiday and skilled visa processing leaves agricultural businesses scrambling for workers ahead of harvest.
“Farmers are already trying to work out whether they’ll have enough skilled workers to get their crops off, and now they’re facing uncertainty about fuel supply and rapidly rising diesel costs,” Ms Kealy said.
“Labor governments should be making it easier for farmers to produce our food, not putting more obstacles in their way.”
Ms Kealy called on Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle to publish the operational plan for the reserve, including where it is held, who would receive priority, how it would be distributed, how quickly it could reach farms and whether Victoria has any capacity to respond to serious regional shortages before a Level 4 national emergency is declared.
“This isn’t a call to unnecessarily release emergency stocks today. It’s a call to make sure Labor’s reserve is actually fit for purpose before we need it,” Ms Kealy said.
“Waiting until the country reaches the highest level of a national fuel emergency could be far too late for a farmer with a crop ready to harvest.
“Minister Settle needs to show farmers the plan now, not scramble to write one in the middle of a crisis.
“The Liberals and Nationals will always back our farmers and fight for the workforce, fuel security and practical support they need to get food off the paddock and onto Australian tables.”
