New Zealand's government has released updates to its National Fuel Plan to respond to fuel supply uncertainty driven by the Middle East conflict, where it said there is currently no need for fuel restrictions, but the government is "acting early," according to a Friday statement.
The plan outlines four phases that respond proportionately to risks to New Zealand's fuel security, assessed separately for petrol, diesel, and jet fuel.
The government will decide whether a shift between phases is appropriate based on six assessment criteria, which include export restrictions at source refineries, changes to fuel stock levels of plus or minus three days since the most recent published update.
The criteria also include a fuel company informing the government it is unlikely to fill future orders, a breach of minimum storage obligations, significant policy changes in Australia or from the International Energy Agency, and a significant disruption to regional distribution.
The statement said that phase 1 focuses on monitoring global developments, easing restrictions to increase optionality, and working with fuel companies to keep fuel moving efficiently, while phase 2 would see more active coordination between government and industry to shore up supply and support demand reduction.
Phase 2 will also push strongly for voluntary uptake by households and businesses to conserve fuel, and a reduction in the public sector's use of fuel where appropriate.
If disruption increases, phases 3 and 4 allow for stronger interventions, including prioritising fuel for emergency services, freight and food supply chains, with the government set to engage with stakeholders over the next two weeks on implementation details.
"New Zealand has sufficient fuel stocks, but we are planning for potential scenarios where obtaining future supply could become increasingly difficult," said Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones.
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