The Western Australian leader of One Nation, Rod Caddies, has called on the state government to urgently address fuel security, warning the closure of the state’s last oil refinery has left Western Australia dangerously exposed to global supply disruptions.
In a media statement released this week, Caddies said escalating geopolitical tensions and volatility in global energy markets highlighted the risks facing the state if diesel supplies were disrupted.
“Current world events highlight just how vulnerable we are in WA – without diesel, WA stops,” Caddies said.
Kwinana refinery closure central to concerns
Caddies pointed to the 2020 closure of the Kwinana oil refinery, previously the state’s only refinery, as a major turning point for Western Australia’s fuel resilience.
The refinery site, south of Perth, is now being redeveloped as a renewable energy hub, marking a broader transition in the state’s energy infrastructure.
According to Caddies, the closure effectively ended Western Australia’s domestic refining capability and increased reliance on imported fuel supplies.
At the time, One Nation MLC Colin Tincknell criticised the decision, arguing it would weaken the state’s energy security.
Diesel dependence across WA industries
Caddies said the state’s economic structure made diesel particularly critical, especially for sectors such as mining, agriculture and freight.
“Our mining, agriculture and transport sectors rely on diesel,” he said.
“You can’t get a road train across the Nullarbor with batteries.”
The statement warned that interruptions to diesel supply could have cascading effects across essential services.
“Without diesel, WA supermarket shelves will be empty, medications won’t be available, ambulances can’t get to people who need them, fire trucks cannot get to bushfires,” Caddies said.
Criticism of energy policy
Caddies also criticised what he described as an over-reliance on renewable energy solutions within state policy.
“WA Labor thinks that everything can run on batteries and renewable electricity, but that is just delusional,” he said.
The One Nation leader linked fuel supply concerns to broader debates around net-zero emissions targets and energy transition policies, arguing that decisions tied to climate policy had reduced domestic energy resilience.
One Nation policy proposals
Caddies said One Nation would advocate a long-term strategy aimed at restoring fuel independence for Western Australia.
The proposal includes rebuilding local refining capacity, increasing domestic extraction of energy resources and maintaining sufficient diesel reserves to support critical industries.
“Our policy is to achieve fuel self-sufficiency,” Caddies said.
“We need to make sure we always have enough diesel here to keep our state going, whatever it takes.”
The comments come amid wider national discussions about Australia’s fuel security as global supply chains face pressure from geopolitical tensions and disruptions in international oil markets.
