In short:
A $20 million federal campaign urges Australians to reduce driving as the fuel crisis linked to tensions in Iran continues to impact prices across Melbourne’s west. In Wyndham, where many rely on cars, questions remain over preparedness and real-world impact.
Federal Campaign Launches Amid Uncertainty
The Australian Government is launching a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign urging Australians to cut back on driving, as the global fuel crisis linked to tensions in Iran continues to push prices higher.
The campaign, titled “Every little bit helps”, will roll out from 13 April across television, digital platforms and billboards.
It encourages motorists to reduce car use where possible and adopt fuel-saving habits such as driving smoothly and removing excess weight from vehicles. The campaign is expected to cost up to $20 million.
The announcement comes days after Anthony Albanese returned to Australia following talks with Singapore, where he met with Lawrence Wong.
Both leaders agreed to “make maximum efforts” to maintain fuel and gas flows between the two countries.
But the timing and substance of the response have drawn criticism, with questions raised about whether the federal government was prepared for a major global supply shock.
Australia entered the crisis with fuel reserves estimated at around 35 days — well short of the 90 days recommended by the International Energy Agency — leaving the country exposed as global supply chains tighten.
While the government has moved to ease cost pressures by cutting the fuel excise by 32 cents per litre, the impact has been uneven.
(Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a refinery in Singapore).
Diesel Prices Relatively Unaffected
In Wyndham, diesel prices remain high, sitting between $3.15 and $3.30 per litre, underscoring the limits of the measure.
The contrast with state-level responses has also been noted. The Victorian Government has introduced free public transport throughout April and rolled out the Servo Saver app to improve fuel price transparency.
However, for communities like Wyndham — where many residents commute long distances for work — reducing car use is not always practical.
Public transport options remain limited for cross-suburban travel, leaving many households heavily dependent on private vehicles.
Against that backdrop, the federal government’s advertising push has been criticised as focusing on behavioural change rather than addressing deeper structural weaknesses in fuel supply and preparedness.
With global uncertainty continuing, the crisis is sharpening long-standing concerns about Australia’s fuel security — and whether more decisive action should have been taken before prices surged.
