Markets 
Weather 
The state government has announced an increase to load limits for trucks delivering petrol, diesel and fertiliser in a bid to ease concerns about fuel security in WA.
On Sunday, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti announced the increase after concerns were raised over the rising cost of diesel as the state’s farmers prepare for seeding to grow this year’s crops.
From Monday, 27.5m and 36.5m road trains will be permitted to transport up to an additional 10 tonnes per load if they are carrying petrol, diesel and/or fertiliser to certain priority regions, including the Goldfields, the South West, Great Southern and the Wheatbelt.
Saffioti said the move supports the Federal Government’s decision earlier this week to relax minimum stock obligations for fuel companies that prioritise sending fuel to regional customers.
“In times of global uncertainty, it’s more important than ever for government to work with industry and the community on practical solutions,” she said.
“This is a significant decision, which will enable the delivery of more petrol, diesel, and fertiliser to regional Western Australians.”
However, the WA opposition has raised concerns that the ongoing war in the Middle East may have a severe impact on the state’s farmers as the price of diesel continues to rise.
According to state government services website Fuelwatch, the average price for diesel across the metropolitan region had risen to 269.7¢ per litre on Sunday.
In addition to the price increase, West Australian farmers face a wait of up to three weeks to receive fuel supplies as a result of panic-buying across the metropolitan region, with the state government putting forward a seven-point plan to tackle the crisis after a roundtable meeting on Wednesday.
Shadow Energy Minister Steve Thomas said while he welcomed the state government’s new transport load allowances, the uncertainty over future fuel supplies could have dire consequences for WA farmers.
“The first and most critical thing is that the war in the Middle East and the disruptions end as soon as possible, because there are major risks to not just the Western Australian community, but more specifically to the 2026 crops,” he said.
“There’s a farm that has, effectively, an 80,000 litre seeding program every year, and that’s what they’re planning for this year.
“They put an order in for 80,000 litres and they got 20,000 litres because everybody is cautious over their reserves.
“Now, in a normal year, this farm would probably order 20,000 litres, four times, three weeks apart, for their seeding program over about six to eight weeks.”
According to the state government, the 2025-26 CBH Group grain harvest set a new record for WA, exceeding 24 million tonnes and worth approximately $10 billion to the economy.
Agriculture is WA’s second-largest export industry and is worth more than $13 billion to the local economy.
While the resources sector, including oil and gas, contributes a greater economic share of the state’s exports, many of WA’s miners have access to fuel stocks and are not as limited to seasonal activities as growers.
Thomas said there was no guarantee that fuel supplies would continue to be imported into WA as the conflict in the Middle East wages on.
“Right now, distributors are holding back because they’re not certain about supply, not necessarily today, but over the coming weeks,” he said.
“And then the government, both state and federal, have said that fuel is still coming in at about the same level, and that’s largely true, but what they can’t do is guarantee that that will happen for the next six weeks of a seeding program.
“The only ultimate solution is an end to the Middle East war. And I just hope that happens as quickly as possible, because everything else is a stopgap measure.”
From our partners
Read the full article here
