Refinery fire a wake-up call to politicians asleep at the wheel

April 16, 2026 — 5:42pm

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The fire at the Geelong refinery, thankfully not as catastrophic as it might have been, raises the possibility of future pain at the petrol bowser and is a reminder of how political leaders have surrendered energy sovereign capability with few qualms, despite the inherent hazards.

We import 90 per cent of our liquid fuel, and Geelong is one of two refineries left in Australia after high operating costs and competition from large Asian refineries made the local industry economically unviable. It supplies more than 50 per cent of Victoria’s and 10 per cent of Australia’s fuel.

Viva Energy’s Geelong........

© The Sydney Morning Herald