September 22, 2026
The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association has called for urgent fuel tax relief after the national average retail price of diesel rose by 15.9 cents per litre in just one week.
ALRTA president Gerard Johnson said the rapid rise was placing enormous pressure on the operators responsible for moving livestock, grain, fertiliser, fuel and food across Australia.
“Fuel is one of the largest operating costs for a rural transport business. An increase of almost 16 cents per litre in a week cannot simply be absorbed,” Mr Johnson said.
“These costs will move through the agricultural supply chain and ultimately affect farmers, processors, regional communities and Australian families at the supermarket.”
ALRTA said it supported the Coalition’s proposed Fuel Price Shield, which would automatically reduce fuel excise and temporarily reduce the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge to zero when global oil prices remained above a defined threshold.
“Earlier this year, the Federal Government demonstrated that it could act by reducing fuel excise, temporarily removing the Road User Charge and increasing fuel tax credits for heavy vehicle operators,” Mr Johnson said.
“We are asking the government to revisit that relief immediately. The Coalition’s Fuel Price Shield provides one possible model. Whether the government adopts that proposal or develops its own mechanism, doing nothing should not be the answer.”
