Published | 27 March 2026
RACT has called for a coordinated approach between the State and Federal Governments, the fuel industry and peak industry groups to ensure policy responses and actions to the current fuel challenges are targeted and effective.
RACT General Manager Advocacy and Government Relations, Mel Percival, said there were no easy fixes to the supply and price challenges that had been caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
“RACT deeply understands the price pain Tasmanians are feeling every time they fill up, along with the broader impacts across out businesses and industries of rising fuel prices. We are advocating daily for our members on these issues at the highest levels.” Ms Percival said.
“Next week’s National Cabinet provides an opportunity to implement a nationally consistent approach to these challenges.”
RACT supports government measures to secure reliable fuel supplies.
“Policy responses need to be guided by scenario planning, consultation with experts and close collaboration between government, industry groups and consumer bodies. There is also a need for quick action as this situation continues to evolve rapidly,” Ms Percival said.
“Measures to reduce the pain of fuel prices on consumers are important, with the rapid increases in prices placing strain on households.
“Any price controls must be carefully balanced against the need to maintain adequate supply where it is needed.”
Ms Percival said legislative changes to support greater transparency over fuel reserves and localised outages were welcome.
“A lot of the panic buying and stockpiling we are seeing is being driven by uncertainty and a lack of information about fuel availability.
“The requirement for fuel stations to update any fuel shortage, the same way the update the prices daily is a practical inclusion in the changes.
“It is important for government to have access to timely information about available on-island fuel reserves and shortages to plan across a variety of scenarios.”
RACT continues to urge Tasmanians to buy the fuel they need when they need it and not to stockpile fuel.
There are things Tasmanians can do now to make the fuel they buy go further.
Smoother driving, using cruise control on open roads, ensuring tyres are inflated to the correct pressure and removing excess weight can all add up to improve fuel economy by around 15 per cent.
RACT’s practical tips for improving fuel economy:
Practice smoother driving to reduce braking and acceleration. This can make the biggest individual difference
Use cruise control on open roads.
Check tyres are inflated to the recommended pressure.
Remove roof racks to improve aerodynamics and remove excess weight from your vehicle.
Plan your trip – try and do two or three things to reduce overall travel
Turn off air conditioning in mild weather.
Reset your trip meter after filling up and monitor how changes in driving habits influence mileage.
Tasmanians should continue to shop around for the best price using the RACT fuel saver app to find the lowest prices in your area.