The Western Australian government will invoke emergency powers to force fuel companies to provide information about their supply chains in an effort to keep fuel flowing through the state.
The government had previously asked companies to voluntarily provide this information, as the war in the Middle East caused disruptions to Australia's fuel supply, but Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said just three of the six major suppliers complied.
The minister said the government wants information about fuel volumes, distribution points and frequency of distribution. She said the emergency powers allowed the government to act quickly to allocate fuel to where it is needed the most, particularly in regional WA.
Ms Sanderson said supply was most challenging in the agricultural and mining regions. She said fuel suppliers that failed to comply faced significant penalties, with maximum fines of $100,000 per day for corporations and $10,000 per day for individuals.
Premier Roger Cook said the emergency powers were being used under the Fuel, Energy and Power Resources Act 1972, which is different to the 'state of emergency' orders issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said this action would target transparency over fuel supply chains.
WA's Parliament will be recalled on April 14 to table the orders, but they will come into effect on Thursday.
