Australia’s farmers are grappling with an escalating diesel shortage, stirring urgent appeals for broader price monitoring measures.

“While Australians can top up their tanks at service stations, our farmers are facing a different reality,” one industry representative highlighted.

“If our farmers run out of fuel, they can’t produce the food and fiber we rely on. The issue isn’t a lack of supply—there’s diesel available. However, major oil companies are withholding it from independent and smaller wholesalers.”

The situation is exacerbated by restricted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Consequently, some large refiners are prioritizing supply to retail outlets over wholesale buyers, such as farms.

Farmer Layton Free shared his experience, saying, “On Thursday, I received a call about being placed on a quota or allocation system due to supply issues.”

“By Friday, the situation escalated, and I was informed there was no longer any supply available,” he added.

With the consumer watchdog monitoring prices for motorists, the opposition has written to the government for help monitoring prices for farmers.

“There’s no way we should have a fuel security or food security problem right now,” Free said.

With Iran attacking sporadically throughout the Middle East, some nations are asking not for monitoring but military and intelligence assistance

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told the ABC Insiders program today the federal government had received requests from nations for protection against drone and missile attacks.

Iran has targeted pro-western neighbours, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, over the past week in a campaign of air attacks.

“Many countries who are non-participants have been attacked by Iran through this,” Wong said.

“You would anticipate as a consequence, that we have been asked for assistance and we will work through that.”

She refused to be drawn on details about any potential military aid under consideration, but said the government would be frank if it approved any.

Wong also reiterated that Australian armed forces would not take part in offensive operations against Iran.

“We are not participating in offensive action against Iran,” Wong said.

“This is not Iraq and we are not the Howard government.”

She was speaking after the Iranian regime gave conflicting comments about the targeting of its neighbours.

President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to Arab Gulf nations in a remarkable address yesterday, saying Tehran would stop striking its neighbours unless any attacks on Iran originated from those countries.

He urged Gulf nations not to become a “plaything in the hands of imperialism,” warning them not to attack Iranian territory.

It’s not clear if the president’s announcement comes into effect immediately. After the address, interceptions continued over the UAE and sirens rang in Bahrain.

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