Fuel deliveries may secure Australia's supply without lowering pump prices

Supply chain expert David Leaney expects costly petrol into January or February, but says holiday flights face a better supply outlook.

Channel: 9 News Australia ·

AustraliaStory of November 10, 2026Trari Newsroom

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9 News Australia: The news service of Australia's Nine Network, owned by Nine Entertainment. 1.9M subscribers and 1.7B views.

Three billion litres of fuel on the way to our nation | 9 News Australia

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:20Leaney expects fuel supplies to remain available, despite prices staying elevated for months.
0:56He attributes global price pressure to Middle East supply disruptions linked to Iranian proxies.
1:26Refining and shipping delays could keep expensive fuel reaching Australian motorists until January or February.
2:18He expects normal aviation fuel supplies for holiday flights, distinguishing airlines' outlook from motorists'.

Australia's incoming fuel shipments should prevent shortages, but motorists should not expect immediate relief at the pump, supply chain expert David Leaney says.

In an interview carried by Australian broadcaster 9 News Australia, the Australian National University expert separates two questions: whether fuel will be available and how much drivers will pay for it. The report opens with three billion litres heading to the country. Leaney's assessment is that supplies will hold, while prices remain elevated for months.

Speaking from Canberra on Nine's Today programme, he attributes the price pressure to international disruptions, including Middle East supply problems linked to Iranian proxies. His explanation centres on the time it takes oil to move through refining and shipping before reaching Australian customers. Fuel arriving later can still carry the cost of earlier disruption.

That delay, he says, could leave motorists paying high prices until January or February. Asked whether relief depends on Middle East tensions easing, he agrees, while warning that market volatility will persist.

For people planning holiday flights, Leaney offers a different assessment. He says aviation fuel prices are less volatile and airlines should have normal fuel supplies. That is reassurance about availability, rather than a promise of cheaper tickets.

Diesel earns his most pointed illustration of the expense: he jokes that anyone wanting to give an unusually expensive Christmas present could buy someone a tank of it.

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