Emergency plan for WA fuel rations
Petrol would be rationed to WA motorists at set prices and service stations eventually closed to the public under an emergency blueprint to deal with a fuel shortage.
As tensions in the Middle East drive the price of oil to two-year highs, the WA Government's energy adviser is finalising a "State Liquid Fuel Shortage" strategy to deal with a supply crisis.
The plan is designed to prevent panic buying and ensure order at fuel bowsers across the State in the event of a domestic disruption, such as industrial action on the docks, a refinery problem or an international crisis, such as war in the Middle East.
Under the emergency plan, restrictions would first be voluntary, with the public encouraged to use public transport.
For a prolonged shortage, service stations would be closed and all remaining fuel quarantined for police, ambulances, firefighters and key Government officials.
A draft plan devised by the Office of Energy is being mulled over by departments and industry heavyweights.
"These (restrictions) will initially be light-handed, voluntary, non-legislative demand restraint measures to address any supply shortfall," an Office of Energy spokeswoman said.
"In the event of a prolonged or particularly acute shortage, it may become necessary to consider more formal government responses, such as rationing."
Under rationing, motorists would be eligible to buy a set amount of fuel each day at the benchmark price registered before the emergency. The system replaces a strategy under which motorists would have bought fuel on certain days, depending on whether their car's number plate ended in an odd or even number.
WA has one oil refinery at Kwinana, which produces about 80 per cent of WA's diesel and petrol needs. The rest comes from Singapore and the Eastern States.
Most of the oil the BP refinery requires comes from Pilbara fields but the plant needs additional supplies of heavy crude from the Middle East and Asia.
