Australia has minimal fuel stocks...
Mar 6, 2017 19:27:11 GMT 10
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remnantprep and WolfDen like this
Post by blueshoes on Mar 6, 2017 19:27:11 GMT 10
If there is a conflict in the South China Sea there is likely to be major disruptions:
Mr Blackburn, who is commissioned by the National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) to provide consultancy and strategic advice on Australia's fuel security, said this unerring drive for market efficiency had led to four of the country's seven oil refineries closing down in three years.
"We're heading towards 100 per cent import dependency," Ret. Air Vice Marshall Blackburn said.
"But when the British were passing 40 per cent import dependency, they said they had a national security concern."
...
"The fundamental assumption they've made is because we haven't had a problem in 30 years, we're not going to have a problem."
...
Australian fuel stockholding capability
Chilled and frozen goods delivery - 7 days
Dry goods - 9 days
Retail pharmacy supplies - 7 days
Hospital pharmacy supplies - 3 days
Petrol stations - 3 days
National Roads and Motorists Association
...
"What's important is what type of fuel you've got and where, because we can't move fuel around Australia readily," he said.
"We can't move by rail anymore because we don't have the rolling stock. We don't own ships anymore. And the trucks that move fuel are designed for 'just in time' normal commercial deliveries."
...
A spokesperson for one of Australia's major fuel suppliers, who did not want to be identified, said he understood the "geopolitical" concern in the South China Sea and accepted escalating tensions could affect supplies through the sea.
"In no way, shape or form, do we want to say, as an industry, we think it's all good and she'll be right," he said.
"But equally so, there are sources of both crude and refined product from the other side, through India, through the Middle East and that particular part of the world.
"Where we've got choice and flexibility, and we do, we're able to effectively have ships sail different ways and be able to source products from different parts of the world."
He said there was capacity to "take up the slack" in refined fuel if South China Sea routes were disrupted
Source: mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-24/fuel-imports-a-risk-amid-south-china-sea-tensions-nrma-advisor/7149648?pfmredir=sm
Or the Aus Food News writeup
Source: www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2017/03/06/south-china-sea-conflict-warning-for-australians-to-stockpile-supplies.html
Mr Blackburn, who is commissioned by the National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) to provide consultancy and strategic advice on Australia's fuel security, said this unerring drive for market efficiency had led to four of the country's seven oil refineries closing down in three years.
"We're heading towards 100 per cent import dependency," Ret. Air Vice Marshall Blackburn said.
"But when the British were passing 40 per cent import dependency, they said they had a national security concern."
...
"The fundamental assumption they've made is because we haven't had a problem in 30 years, we're not going to have a problem."
...
Australian fuel stockholding capability
Chilled and frozen goods delivery - 7 days
Dry goods - 9 days
Retail pharmacy supplies - 7 days
Hospital pharmacy supplies - 3 days
Petrol stations - 3 days
National Roads and Motorists Association
...
"What's important is what type of fuel you've got and where, because we can't move fuel around Australia readily," he said.
"We can't move by rail anymore because we don't have the rolling stock. We don't own ships anymore. And the trucks that move fuel are designed for 'just in time' normal commercial deliveries."
...
A spokesperson for one of Australia's major fuel suppliers, who did not want to be identified, said he understood the "geopolitical" concern in the South China Sea and accepted escalating tensions could affect supplies through the sea.
"In no way, shape or form, do we want to say, as an industry, we think it's all good and she'll be right," he said.
"But equally so, there are sources of both crude and refined product from the other side, through India, through the Middle East and that particular part of the world.
"Where we've got choice and flexibility, and we do, we're able to effectively have ships sail different ways and be able to source products from different parts of the world."
He said there was capacity to "take up the slack" in refined fuel if South China Sea routes were disrupted
Source: mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-24/fuel-imports-a-risk-amid-south-china-sea-tensions-nrma-advisor/7149648?pfmredir=sm
Or the Aus Food News writeup
Australia’s largest motoring organisation, the NRMA, has warned that Australia’s dependency on overseas fuel import shipments passing through the South China Sea could lead to a major shortage of petrol with consequent unavailability of essential supplies including food.
Quoted on the ABC, retired Air Vice Marshall, John Blackburn, who is currently advising the National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) on Australia’s fuel security, said the distribution of food, medicine and water across Australia was dependent on overseas fuel.
If anything was to stop fuel entering the country, such as a conflict in the South China Sea, Australia could have significant problems in distributing its food, medicine and other essential supplies as there is a lack of Australian-based reserve supplies.
...
Case study in point
Many Australians are unaware that several years ago, the Australian Food and Grocery Council published a “pantry list” which provided some guidance on basic essentials to be held in every household to cater for shortages caused by disruption in grocery supply chain in circumstances such as a pandemic. The Pantry List can be found here. The New Zealand scheme suggest that schools and workplaces also hold emergency stocks of groceries, more details can be found here (go to article for link)
In 2008, Australian food compliance experts, FoodLegal, made a submission to a Australian parliamentary committee on Australia’s food production.
Although the submission stressed that it did not promote ‘survivalism’, it drew attention to the amount of planning required by government to handle food shortages and that consideration needs to be given to the “wider ramifications that make food shortages very likely”.
Quoted on the ABC, retired Air Vice Marshall, John Blackburn, who is currently advising the National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) on Australia’s fuel security, said the distribution of food, medicine and water across Australia was dependent on overseas fuel.
If anything was to stop fuel entering the country, such as a conflict in the South China Sea, Australia could have significant problems in distributing its food, medicine and other essential supplies as there is a lack of Australian-based reserve supplies.
...
Case study in point
Many Australians are unaware that several years ago, the Australian Food and Grocery Council published a “pantry list” which provided some guidance on basic essentials to be held in every household to cater for shortages caused by disruption in grocery supply chain in circumstances such as a pandemic. The Pantry List can be found here. The New Zealand scheme suggest that schools and workplaces also hold emergency stocks of groceries, more details can be found here (go to article for link)
In 2008, Australian food compliance experts, FoodLegal, made a submission to a Australian parliamentary committee on Australia’s food production.
Although the submission stressed that it did not promote ‘survivalism’, it drew attention to the amount of planning required by government to handle food shortages and that consideration needs to be given to the “wider ramifications that make food shortages very likely”.
Source: www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2017/03/06/south-china-sea-conflict-warning-for-australians-to-stockpile-supplies.html
