Premier Roger Cook has formally written to the five major fuel suppliers requesting that they provide a higher level of visibility to address challenges across the supply chain, signalling growing frustration with the industry's transparency about domestic fuel stocks during a period of global supply uncertainty.
The move reflects a classic tension between market governance and state control. Cook has made it clear that the Energy and Decarbonisation Minister holds powers to compel the provision of information in the event a State of Emergency is triggered under the Fuel, Energy and Power Resources Act 1972. For now, though, WA currently sits at Level 1 of the State Hazard Plan, meaning the government would rather negotiate than compel. Yet the implicit threat is unmistakable; cooperate on information sharing, or risk formal state intervention.
The underlying problem is real enough. The current disruptions were not a matter of foreign supply drying up, but rather a problem in how fuel was flowing through the domestic supply chain. Petrol stations in Perth have reported queues and periodic pump closures, not because tanks are empty, but because high turnover has strained normal distribution networks. When urban demand spikes, fuel flows away from regional areas. For independent retailers and spot buyers without long-term supply contracts, this creates chaos.
Agriculture bears the brunt. If farmers miss their prime sowing date once mid-April comes around, it has massive financial ramifications. Every day they miss equates to about $10 per hectare, per day. This is not an abstract concern. Some grain farmers have already compromised their 2026 programs by delaying key pre-seeding jobs, such as liming, deep ripping or spraying, until they can secure reliable fuel supplies.
The government's instinct to demand transparency is understandable from a public interest standpoint. If fuel is being diverted to profitable urban markets whilst regional industries face crippling shortages, the state arguably has a legitimate claim to intervene. Yet there are complications worth acknowledging. Demanding private companies disclose sensitive business data about inventory and supply contracts sets a precedent that extends beyond this emergency. Once you invoke emergency powers to force disclosure, those powers may not remain confined to their original purpose.
Cook's preference for partnership suggests he recognises this. While his preference is to continue to work in partnership with fuel suppliers to alleviate pressure points across the State, should the need arise, his government will not hesitate to use the powers available for us to keep WA strong. The message is calibrated: cooperate, and we avoid escalation. Refuse, and we will use the law.
It remains unclear whether suppliers will voluntarily provide the detailed visibility Cook is requesting. What seems likely is that the next few weeks will determine whether this crisis resolves through negotiation or whether West Australian politics moves toward a more interventionist posture on fuel security. Either way, the broader question lingers: why was WA so exposed when global conflict in the Middle East seems more volatile than ever?