Air Vice Marshal (retired) John Blackburn has written extensively on the subject from both a military and a civilian viewpoint. In a recent issue of the Australian Defence Magazine he said that ‘energy security is fundamental to our way of life; without it and without resilient supply chains our Defence Forces will not be able to operate’. Last October he told a Senate committee hearing that ‘Australia was the only country in the world that didn’t have either government-owned reserves, mandated industry minimums for fuel stocks, or the ability to control the market. All other developed countries have some of those things at least, and countries in the region here are increasing their fuel and oil stock holdings because of their concerns’.

He rightly castigates the federal government for being asleep at the wheel over this matter.  But it’s more than just the fact that successive Australian governments have since

2010

ignored their international obligation to maintain the barest minimum reserve of liquid fuels. It’s the reckless mindset that those governments reveal by the fact that throughout those years they were willing to risk the safety of every Australian that they had pledged an oath to serve and protect. What would have happened to the Australian public had – as was suggested by Liberal Senator Jim Molan – another Middle East war broken out last July in the wake of US airstrikes on Russian targets in Syria? Molan supposed that the oil-fields could have been put out of action for months. What would former PM Malcolm Turnbull have done then, apart from retire to his New York apartment?


2010 - Gillard. Then Rudd, then Abbott, Turnbull, Morrison.  Both sides are asleep.




Australia’s fuel security is far more precarious than we might realise. Not only do we not have the internationally mandated 90-day stockpile, but the ongoing closure of Australia’s refineries means we are on track to be 100% reliant on imported petroleum by 2030.

Australian refineries import roughly 83% of the crude oil they process from more than 17 countries, mainly in Asia (40%), but also Africa (18%) and the Middle East (17%). We are a significant oil producer, but export 75% of our crude production, with the largest recipients being Indonesia and Singapore.

At the same time, the importance of importing refined petroleum from overseas is only increasing as our local production declines.
http://theconversation.com/australia-imports-almost-all-of-its-oil-and-there-are...

It is one, very stark, example of how Australia ignores its own national interests for no obvious reasons. I suspect it has a lot to do with wanting to be 'nice' and enabling of our Asian neighbours.

But it's still myopic and stupid. Singapore refines over 50% of our petroleum supplies - Singapore which imports a lot of the crude from us to refine and sell back.

Crazy. Dumb.

Brian Ross wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2019 at 8:10pm:

Well they sure didn't blow billions by relaxing our borders like Labor did.

Which is why it is utmost important for Australia to start changing its energy dependance from petrolium to renewables.  Then none of this would be an issue.   If the big cities are electrified, including interstate rail ways.  Then, all we need is perhaps half of strategic reserves.  Or if we are desperate, in times of crisis, we can rebuild our oil refinery capacity - but be able to put the economy back with lesser effort. 

The problem is that we need to hold on to people with the right skills.  I mean after the last refineries closed, how many technician are still left in Australia knows how to operate + maintain, and rebuild a refinary?

Frank wrote on Apr 2^nd, 2019 at 8:36pm:


Sounds like it is something you're looking forward to, Soren.  You got your AR-15, your bunker, your provisions all prepared for that day?   You takin' survival courses?  You learnin' how to live off der land?

Run along, with your fantasies, Soren.   You are one sick individual.  You don't want to live in a modern, liberal, democratic society at all.  You just want to live in your fascist land where you and your like are Übermensch compared to all the Untermensch who will carry out your commands, obey your superior will.   

Brian Ross wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2019 at 2:43pm:

It's called follow through.

They were told not to get on people smugglers' boats because they would not get to settle in Australia.  They ignored it. Australia did what it said it would do. Dweadful, isn't it. old pissy.
And so now you complain because you are a spoiled brat at heart, revolting against any attempt to instruct and improve you.

You arwe Bwianesque,  Bwian.

Brian Ross wrote on Apr 4^th, 2019 at 7:49pm:



Fifty thousand got on smugglers' boats, ijit.

Plane arrivals are KNOWN, they had a visa, they can be dealt with by proper process. A shite, broken process but that's by the choice of the Australian Government. Giving visa over-staying non-citizens access to the Australian legal system at taxpayer expense is the stupidest aspect of the whole drama. It is motivated and maintained by lilly-livered idiots like you, Bwian. It would be cheaper, neater, juster to deport them at $5,000 a pop than give them access to a legal system that cots hundreds of thousands of dollars in each case.

Clarity of purpose and resolve - that's what is missing and you are all for undermining any efforts in those directions.

Illegal boat arrivals break the law by showing up and continue to be unverifiable and doubtful. People flying to Indonesia from the Middle East on commercial flights and then trying to enter Australia illegally is not what this or any other country needs. Let the Indonesians have them if they are so wonderful. THEY let them into Indonesia legally, after all.

Australia produces 10 to 20% of it's own oil, and could probably increase that if it actually became important.

That's more than enough for the military, and you probably wouldn't want to fly to Bali in the middle of a war.