Politics Now Demand for fuel has gone up, but when will petrol prices come back down?
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Mar 20, 2026 Malcolm Roberts, CEO of the Australian Institute of Petroleum, speaks for major refiners and fuel suppliers. He explains how global oil prices and local retail pricing cycles pushed pump prices up. He discusses regional diesel demand, why independents struggle for supply, government emergency powers and how long prices could stay elevated.
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Regional Forward Buying Strained Supply
- Regional centres and trucking routes saw intense forward buying ahead of harvest and winter cropping, straining supply and distribution.
- Roberts recalls wholesalers filling storage, one independent leaving the market, and majors moving to 100% allocations.
Spot Buyers Were Left Exposed
- Spot-market buyers and independents relying on just-in-time purchases were left exposed when the spot market dried up during the rush.
- Roberts explains contracted customers got their volumes while spot buyers struggled to source fuel quickly.
Expect Longer Resupply Times
- Expect delays in resupplying stations because distribution networks ran flat out and buffers were drained during the buying surge.
- Roberts advises assessing how long a site is out of fuel since re‑supply times vary with logistics and allocations.