Australia is in the middle of a fuel crisis, but the way the state and federal governments have chosen to respond signals a firm commitment to fossil fuels.

In a matter of days, Canberra found billions of dollars to make petrol and diesel cheaper. The temporary halving of the fuel excise is costing about $2.55 billion over three months (plus GST returns), simply to blunt the pain of oil prices without changing Australia’s dependence on oil.

Add in relief for heavy vehicles and loans to fuel-intensive businesses, and you have a crisis package that keeps the existing, oil-hungry system running. Fuel security, in this framing, means securing fuel, not securing mobility.

How the states responded

Victorians and Tasmanians get a brief holiday from public transport fares – a month of free or heavily discounted travel. There was no permanent increase in public transport services or enduring fare reform. There was also no new support for electric vehicles (EVs), accelerated installation of bike lanes or bus priority lanes.

Outside........

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