Australia’s reliance on imported fuel, declining reserves and road-heavy transport system have created vulnerabilities that require urgent policy reform.

Few recall that during World War II, petrol and diesel fuel use was rationed.

Or that in 1942 no fewer than 31 inland aircraft fuel depots were constructed in Australia to store a total of 90 million litres of fuel.

They were all supplied by freight trains. Of these inland fuel depots, 11 were in NSW, including at Cootamundra, Lake Bathurst and Parkes.

A further six were in Queensland, with four each in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, and one each in Tasmania and at Alice Springs.

Younger people have never experienced petrol rationing.

During the oil shocks of the 1970s, there were restrictions on buying petrol. For the remainder of the 20th century, Australia had a high degree of oil self sufficiency from Bass Strait and other fields.

As a result, Australia has developed a sense of complacency. It also adopted transport policies that effectively encouraged high rates of car ownership with a stubbornly high average fuel consumption.

We also moved to the extensive use of trucks on public roads to move freight and planes to move people.

The location of fuel storage facilities served by rail during WWII. Image: Dr Yoke........

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