Small petrol stations urge Albanese government to crack down on fuel wholesalers as operators run dry

Businesses ranging from vegetable growers to miners warn of disruption from rising petrol prices and lack of supply

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Independent petrol station operators and miners are urging the federal government to crack down harder on major fuel wholesalers hoarding supply and withholding deliveries from smaller operators.

Amid growing disruption from the Iran war, smaller operators are running out of fuel, including in rural and regional areas. Outlets that buy petrol on the spot market, and do not operate with longstanding contracts for fuel supply, have asked for extra help, including from the government’s new fuel supply tsar.