<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australians "><span>Australians </span></a><span>may have to ration fuel as a "last resort", according to an energy expert, as Prime Minister </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/anthony-albanese" rel="" target="_blank" title="Anthony Albanese"><span>Anthony Albanese</span></a><span> encourages people to avoid driving where they can.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Grattan Institute Energy and Climate Change Program director Alison Reeve said the federal government will likely consider rationing </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/fuel" rel="" target="_blank" title="fuel "><span>fuel </span></a><span>supply if all other contingencies fail.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The first one is to make sure that we are keeping the Asian refineries supplying fuel to Australia, because that's where most of our refined fuel comes from," she said.</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>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-prices-australia-farmers-warn-low-supply-could-result-in-red-meat-shortage-high-prices/535293ff-f3c6-48e4-bc09-ad69399e6588" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Red meat shortage, price hikes coming if farmers can't secure more fuel</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If those supplies don't end up being adequate, and that may happen because all of those refineries rely on oil from the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/middle-east" rel="" target="_blank" title="Middle East"><span>Middle East</span></a><span>, the second layer is that we start importing fuel from further away, so possibly from the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The third layer is an informal demand management situation."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia is currently in phase two of its four-point national fuel plan: keep Australia moving. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/aussies-may-have-to-ration-fuel-expert-says/8d8909f2-ac8d-4045-8181-4fb0b93cbcd2" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fuel rationing could be implemented at phase four if ongoing supply chain disruptions require government intervention to protect critical services.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government has made it clear that it's trying to avoid fuel rationing and any COVID-style interventions. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Albanese used his </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-address-to-the-nation-what-to-expect-how-to-watch-everything-to-know/ef0c15f6-2cdd-48a3-b4fb-63ce1b8c05c4" rel="" target="_blank" title="rare national address last night"><span>rare national address last night</span></a><span> to advise people to switch to public transport if they can to save fuel for those who have no choice but to drive.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz-will-us-president-walk-away-from-critical-oil-waterway/838f3923-22d9-4a3b-ac22-b4997066be7c" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Trump told US allies to 'get your own oil'. But he might be bluffing</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Farmers and miners and tradies who need diesel, every single day, and all those shift workers and nurses, who do so much for our country," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reeve said the remarks were a way to signal "well ahead of time" who would be exempt from potential fuel rationing measures.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He's building a social expectation around what the priority order will be without actually having to legislate it," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia currently has 39 days of petrol, 30 days of diesel and 30 days of jet fuel available and the federal government has secured fuel shipments through to May.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the figures seem alarming on the surface, Reeve said the reserves are a buffer that can be extended if demand drops.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If we drop fuel consumption by 20 per cent, the 30 days of diesel reserves will actually last for 150 days," she said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-address-to-the-nation-full-speech-prime-minister-faces-the-nation-with-call-for-calm-but-little-detail/5364105d-db9f-4300-a5a5-a5846581e7d6" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Was Albanese's prime-time address really worth all that bother?</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The war in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="_blank" title="Iran "><span>Iran </span></a><span>seems far from over as US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="_blank" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> today declared that operations will only intensify in the coming two to three weeks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He left it to allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-attack-iran-strait-of-hormuz-donald-trump/14ac7b1f-e957-4cec-b4c2-4855aadf111a" rel="" target="_blank" title="previously calling for their support and receiving little to none"><span>previously calling for their support and receiving little to none</span></a><span>, or suggested they buy their oil from the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on," he said in a national address.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and get it, take it. Protect it, use it for yourselves."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The global conflict has raised fuel prices past $3 a litre, caused panic-buying and left hundreds of petrol stations running low across Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reeve warned that supply chains and fuel prices will never go back to what they were.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-crisis-western-australia-premier-roger-cook-declares-state-of-emergency-powers/83f80161-badf-40b4-8753-fc2994cf3426" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>WA premier enacts emergency fuel powers as PM urges calm</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We will probably all adjust in the meantime," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"One of the things that happens, and this is similar to what we saw with COVID, it's similar to what we saw in the 1970s and 80s with oil shocks, people actually permanently change their behaviour.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"People buy smaller cars, for example. The big option that we've got now is switching to electric cars. Maybe we start to use fertiliser differently.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That actually means that things never go back to exactly the same set of supply chains and prices that you had before, but they'll get to a new kind of equilibrium point where everyone's got what they need, and that's because the supply is adjusted, but also because the demand has adjusted."</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>