00:02A picture-perfect skyline appreciated by Easter holidaymakers sticking closer to home.
00:08Thinking about going out to the hunters or going down south but we drive a diesel so it's over $3
00:14right now.
00:15Sydney tourist bus driver Morteza Fagani is also feeling the pinch.
00:20His bookings have dropped by nearly half since the war began.
00:24Instead of taking 25 people, I'm going to have only 10 people. It means the expenses are still the same.
00:30Despite last week's cut to the fuel excise, the price at the petrol pump has been creeping up.
00:36Averaging $2.27 for unleaded and $3.12 for diesel.
00:42That's having a flow-on effect for businesses along the tourist track.
00:46We've been very quiet. We've only had sort of two tourists out of town come into the town and pass
00:53through.
00:53Demand for fuel has spiked too.
00:56Fuel companies have advised me that demand this Easter has been 30% higher than Easter before.
01:03In Melbourne, this service station is selling fuel 20 cents higher than others.
01:08It hasn't stopped the regulars from dropping by.
01:11With the big fish, we are unable to compete with that.
01:15Across the country, the number of stations without supply has dropped, but some are still running dry.
01:22Nationwide, 274 stations are without diesel.
01:27422 don't have one or more types of fuel.
01:31New South Wales is bearing the brunt.
01:33181 service stations are facing shortages.
01:36In Victoria, 81 are without fuel.
01:40And in Queensland, 70 have run out.
01:43Other states and territories are also running on empty.
01:46The federal government is assuring drivers another month of fuel has been locked in,
01:51as it chases guarantees from Asian trading partners.
01:54And we're now a bit into April and we have secured, contracted, legally binding supply well into May now.
02:03Australia is now also sourcing fuel from further afield with at least two shipments arriving from the Gulf of Mexico.
02:10With no end in sight, the challenge for authorities now is balancing market pressures and consumer expectations.
02:17A shipment of oil from Singapore arriving in Darwin last night.
02:22Rough seas ahead for very precious cargo.
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