2026 Fuel Prices & Security of Supply

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#3475672 30-Mar-2026 16:43

fastbike:

So apparently feebates for EV purchases are bad - but subsidies for petrol and diesel are not.

This also reduces incentives to use less fuel so is counter productive in so many ways.

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kangaroo13

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#3475674 30-Mar-2026 16:50

fastbike:

dafman:

Aussies halving fuel tax for three months to lower price.

So apparently feebates for EV purchases are bad - but subsidies for petrol and diesel are not.

This also reduces incentives to use less fuel so is counter productive in so many ways.

Yes - non-sensical. Granted, incentives for EVs could help address the longer term issues (and if the system hadn't been abolished 2024, then arguably we'd be in a slightly better place now), but they are not going to address the current "crisis" here and now.

Neither are discounts that allow people to carry on as normal and not reduce fuel usage.

Victorian and Tasmanian governments are providing free public transport. That's a measure that can have immediate and meaningful impact, particularly in big cities like Melbourne. NSW is holding out on this. (Personally, I'm not a great fan of 'free', but heavily discounted seems like the right approach, as was done in NZ a few years ago).

Zeon

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#3475676 30-Mar-2026 16:52

Just throwing an idea out there - what is the feasibility of reducing overall national diesel requirements by say switching, where feasible over to petrol or EV vehicles to perform the same task. For example could you replace delivery vans with a petrol or EV pulling a high-sided trailer with a tarpauline over the top and the goods inside? Perhaps the load limits would be less but it achieves the goal of moving goods from point A to B.

If it is feasible then re-arranging fleets - helping brokerage of hiring private vehicles with towbars to distribution businesses, planning allocation of trailers, loosening laws that may hinder this (e.g. too-consdervative weight limits), introducing tough penalties for theft from unlocked trailers etc. - could we be getting started now?

I'm not sure how much diesel this kind of potentially substitutable transportation uses within the wider diesel use where substitution is impossible (e.g. farming equipment), but it could allow redirection to those types of industries who have no choice?

It seems that there aren't too many ideas beyond rationing being thrown around at the moment...

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dafman

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#3475677 30-Mar-2026 16:52

fastbike:

dafman:

Aussies halving fuel tax for three months to lower price.

So apparently feebates for EV purchases are bad - but subsidies for petrol and diesel are not.

This also reduces incentives to use less fuel so is counter productive in so many ways.

Nonetheless, will put pressure on National Govt to do similar.

There is a key difference between subsidies for petrol and diesel and freebates for EVs:

• Subsidies for petrol and diesel provide immediate financial relief to people suffering extreme financial hardship who have no discretion to not use their vehicles (eg. cleaners, factory workers travel to work).

• Freebates benefit people not suffering financial hardship - ie, those with access to tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds - to buy an EV.

mattwnz

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#3475683 30-Mar-2026 17:10

dafman:

Aussies halving fuel tax for three months to lower price.

NZ needs to follow IMO. The benefits will help all lower income people as most of their income is spent on consumables where most will increase as a direct result of fuel price rises. IMO it seems they would rather cherry pick their voter base by helping just a very small percentage of the population that are affected.

mattwnz

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#3475684 30-Mar-2026 17:13

dafman:

fastbike:

So apparently feebates for EV purchases are bad - but subsidies for petrol and diesel are not.

This also reduces incentives to use less fuel so is counter productive in so many ways.

Nonetheless, will put pressure on National Govt to do similar.

There is a key difference between subsidies for petrol and diesel and freebates for EVs:

• Subsidies for petrol and diesel provide immediate financial relief to people suffering extreme financial hardship who have no discretion to not use their vehicles (eg. cleaners, factory workers travel to work).

• Freebates benefit people not suffering financial hardship - ie, those with access to tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds - to buy an EV.

The thing is that Nicky said she wanted to help that cleaner from South Auckland that drives to work. But unless they have kids, they haven’t helped.

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#3475687 30-Mar-2026 17:25

mattwnz:

dafman:

Aussies halving fuel tax for three months to lower price.

NZ needs to follow IMO. The benefits will help all lower income people as most of their income is spent on consumables where most will increase as a direct result of fuel price rises. IMO it seems they would rather cherry pick their voter base by helping just a very small percentage of the population that are affected.

Oh but the Luxon govt. has spent 2.5 years blaming Labour for ruining everything, including by temporarily cutting fuel tax after the Ukraine invasion. It’ll be So. Beautiful. Watching them come up with a reason why Labour bad, National good if they are forced down this route too.

Ultimately though it would be counterproductive as it does nothing to address the root cause of the issue, and if anything will make it worse by removing the incentive, however imperfect, to reduce consumption.

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mattwnz

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#3475692 30-Mar-2026 17:31

SaltyNZ:

mattwnz:

NZ needs to follow IMO. The benefits will help all lower income people as most of their income is spent on consumables where most will increase as a direct result of fuel price rises. IMO it seems they would rather cherry pick their voter base by helping just a very small percentage of the population that are affected.

Oh but the Luxon govt. has spent 2.5 years blaming Labour for ruining everything, including by temporarily cutting fuel tax after the Ukraine invasion. It’ll be So. Beautiful. Watching them come up with a reason why Labour bad, National good if they are forced down this route too.

Ultimately though it would be counterproductive as it does nothing to address the root cause of the issue, and if anything will make it worse by removing the incentive, however imperfect, to reduce consumption.

The governments also didn’t learn anything from Covid either though. Eg The health system is still as bad and we didn’t adapt the economy so it didn’t rely on tourism, which relies on fossil fuels. But imo these moves are about helping with the problem now, otherwise the problems it could create could be far worse. At least the Ozzie government realise that something like this is needed. I am sure the government are worried about this move and their chances of now winning the election. The fuel price rises aren’t going to reduce consumption that much without putting people and businesses out of business. People still have to travel. They will instead probably cut spending in other areas

HarmLessSolutions

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#3475698 30-Mar-2026 17:49

mattwnz:

SaltyNZ:

Oh but the Luxon govt. has spent 2.5 years blaming Labour for ruining everything, including by temporarily cutting fuel tax after the Ukraine invasion. It’ll be So. Beautiful. Watching them come up with a reason why Labour bad, National good if they are forced down this route too.

Ultimately though it would be counterproductive as it does nothing to address the root cause of the issue, and if anything will make it worse by removing the incentive, however imperfect, to reduce consumption.

The governments also didn’t learn anything from Covid either though. Eg The health system is still as bad and we didn’t adapt the economy so it didn’t rely on tourism, which relies on fossil fuels. But imo these moves are about helping with the problem now, otherwise the problems it could create could be far worse. At least the Ozzie government realise that something like this is needed. I am sure the government are worried about this move and their chances of now winning the election. The fuel price rises aren’t going to reduce consumption that much without putting people and businesses out of business. People still have to travel. They will instead probably cut spending in other areas

I expect that fuel rationing of some sort will be implemented by the end of April. Unless security of supply improves markedly before then the government will have no alternative available to them especially if they fail to get traction on voluntary reductions on fuel consumption. If we get to the bottom of the tank nationally the repercussions will be absolutely catastrophic.

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kangaroo13

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#3475699 30-Mar-2026 17:50

mattwnz:

> People still have to travel. They will instead probably cut spending in other areas

Not all travel by private motor vehicle is essential.

People have options, such as limiting leisure travel

Catching public transport

Car pooling

Walking/biking

More WFH

I'd like to see the government incentivise alternate forms of transport - particularly public transport, which could be implemented very quickly and have significant effects in our major cities.

elpenguino

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#3475701 30-Mar-2026 18:00

dafman:

• Subsidies for petrol and diesel provide immediate financial relief to people suffering extreme financial hardship who have no discretion to not use their vehicles (eg. cleaners, factory workers travel to work).

• Freebates benefit people not suffering financial hardship - ie, those with access to tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds - to buy an EV.

Not sure of the distinction.

Subsidies provide immediate relief for those going out four wheel driving, motocrossing or fishing on the weekend too.

When the brown stuff hits the twirly thing, we will have done nothing to restrict usage to 'essential services' except make it more expensive.

Nationals idea of giving more money to poor people seems like a better idea to start with. Of course, on any other given day, National argue black and blue that giving money to poor people just cements their place as bottom feeders so we'll have ignore the dead rats they have to swallow for now.

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#3475714 30-Mar-2026 18:38

dafman:

• Freebates benefit people not suffering financial hardship - ie, those with access to tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds - to buy an EV.

This is more misinformation. The feebates did not only apply to $80,000 Teslas. They also applied to second-hand import Leafs, at a lower rate, to PHEVs, at a lower rate, to hybrids, including second-hand import hybrids, and also the most efficient conventional ICE vehicles, again, at a lower rate.

And more EVs purchased in 2022-2023 would have meant more EVs on the second-hand market in 2026 as those not suffering financial hardship turned over their vehicles for new ones.

Not only did they apply in some measure to almost any vehicle that consumed more than the target emissions, they also penalised the vehicles that did not. Now, if you're a farmer or a tradie who actually needs a ute (and once again: it did not only apply to utes) then you're already getting all your GST back plus FBT exemption so boohoo if your $87,000 Ford Ranger Raptor cost an extra $5700. After all, we've just established that anyone who can afford such a vehicle must have money to burn.

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dafman

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#3475715 30-Mar-2026 18:49

SaltyNZ:

dafman:

• Freebates benefit people not suffering financial hardship - ie, those with access to tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds - to buy an EV.

This is more misinformation.

Not misinformation. A statement of fact. If you had access to funding to purchase a new or used EV under the scheme you were not suffering financial hardship.

Contrast this with someone today who literally cannot afford the cost of fuel for their only form of transport to a minimum wage job.

Significant difference.

SaltyNZ

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#3475723 30-Mar-2026 19:19

dafman:

SaltyNZ:

dafman:

• Freebates benefit people not suffering financial hardship - ie, those with access to tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds - to buy an EV.

This is more misinformation.

Not misinformation. A statement of fact. If you had access to funding to purchase a new or used EV under the scheme you were not suffering financial hardship.

Contrast this with someone today who literally cannot afford the cost of fuel for their only form of transport to a minimum wage job.

Significant difference.

You are deliberately taking one aspect of it and ignoring all the rest. That is at best disingenuous. It's what a politician would do.

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dafman

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#3475727 30-Mar-2026 19:32

SaltyNZ:

dafman:

SaltyNZ:

dafman:

• Freebates benefit people not suffering financial hardship - ie, those with access to tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds - to buy an EV.

This is more misinformation.

Not misinformation. A statement of fact. If you had access to funding to purchase a new or used EV under the scheme you were not suffering financial hardship.

Contrast this with someone today who literally cannot afford the cost of fuel for their only form of transport to a minimum wage job.

Significant difference.

You are deliberately taking one aspect of it and ignoring all the rest. That is at best disingenuous. It's what a politician would do.

Ok, what aspect of the scheme am I ignoring that assisted people experiencing cost of living financial hardship?

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