<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Independent petrol stations in regional Australia have been hit by a devastating fuel shortgage after widespread panic buying </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/petrol-spy-top-downloaded-app-amid-fuel-shortage/f3261e5f-4788-4bef-afa2-0c7db1941631" rel="" target="_blank" title="triggered major oil companies to cut supply."><span>triggered major oil companies to cut supply.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Transwest Fuels co-owner Sam Clifton said his bowsers around regional New South Wales and Queensland are running dry following an "unprecedented collapse in supply availability".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clifton warned some regional independent chains like Transwest are either "completely out of fuel" or running out fast as national wholesalers ration fuel and funnel it into metro areas.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attack-iran-live-updates-march-9-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headline/c2734fe0-11d0-4249-8470-a211aa4191e1" target="_blank"><strong><span>Seventh US soldier dies; Trump says new supreme leader 'won't last long'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>United Petroleum confirmed it has suspended normal allocations to distributors as Iran's </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attacks-iran-strait-of-hormuz-explained-oil-gas-prices/f8e7c1ed-f6d9-4fe5-8277-6a11c09d8de6" rel="" target="" title="blockade of the Strait of Hormuz"><span>blockade of the Strait of Hormuz</span></a><span> impacts global oil supply.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clifton claimed it was "disgraceful" that rural communities have been the first to be cut off.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In Tamworth, we're completely out of unleaded and E95," Clifton told </span><a href="https://www.nine.com.au/" rel="" target="_blank" title="Nine.com.au"><span>Nine.com.au</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-shortage-australia-why-independent-stations-hit-the-hardest/fdcc047b-aeac-41aa-81d2-9cad99940605" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The major retailers are getting preferential treatment by the big players."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Transwest Fuels still has some supply of diesel but it won't last long, Clifton said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>WORLD:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attack-iran-stunning-scenes-as-irans-capital-tehran-pummeled-by-air-strikes/94a382b4-5c75-4e1c-809d-dd3a3780f81b" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Apocalyptic' scenes as Iran's capital pummelled by air strikes</span></strong></a></div></div><div><iframe frameborder="0" height="150px" src="https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/no-petrol-fuel-shortages-hit-as-deliveries-are-suspended/embed?media=Audio&amp;size=Square" width="100%"></iframe></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said local farmers who bulk buy fuel for tractors have </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/petrol-spy-top-downloaded-app-amid-fuel-shortage/f3261e5f-4788-4bef-afa2-0c7db1941631" rel="" target="_blank" title="been hit the hardest by the shortage."><span>been hit the hardest by the shortage.</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Animals will start dying, crops are going to suffer," Clifton added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One farmer I spoke to had just 1000 litres left."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The opposition has written to the government for help monitoring prices for farmers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Australians should understand that while they can go to the servo and fill up, our farmers aren't getting their supplies," Nationals Leader David Littleproud said yesterday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If they run out, they can't produce your food and fibre."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If supply dries up completely, Clifton said around 100 employees at his company face losing their jobs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If we go down, there will be no jobs for them," he added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clifton called on the federal government to protect regional communities from more supply shortages by building refineries in rural areas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Westlink Petroleum's Danny Kreitzer also told 2GB's Ben Fordham that the diminishing supply was getting "serious".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're getting about 45,000 litres a day out, which is probably 10 per cent of what we need."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-shootings-lalor-park-bass-hill/20756937-2a06-4315-a9d7-917e1295f8b0" target="_blank"><strong><span>Sydney rocked by two overnight shootings</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Drivers panic-buying fuel as prices surge above $2 per litre around the country has worsened the domestic pressure on petrol supply, motoring bosses said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What we are now seeing is some service stations running low on supply and that is because Australians are buying fuel at a far greater rate than they normally would," NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Khoury said he has also heard "troubling" reports of people trying to stockpile fuel at home.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Which, apart from not making an economic sense, is also extremely dangerous," Khoury said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span> Energy Minister Chris Bowen last week confirmed that Australia had 34 days of diesel, 32 days of jet fuel and 36 days of petrol available.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite told Sky News today that this was the "normal" reserve capacity, even without a conflict threatening global oil supply.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We've got well over a month's worth of diesel and unleaded petrol," Thistlethwaite said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The majority of our fuel doesn't actually come through the Strait of Hormuz.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It comes from other means and most of that is still getting to Australia."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>