Australia on Monday proposed offering incentives worth A$2.3 billion ($1.67 billion) over 10 years to keep the country's four remaining oil refineries open and said it would invest in building fuel storage as part of a long-term fuel security plan.
A woman walks past a closed store in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on August 31. A lockdown in the Australian state of Victoria aimed at stopping a COVID-19 outbreak came under scrutiny on Monday, with critics calling for a clearer plan to end the restrictions which are said to be weighing on the nation's economic recovery. Victoria recorded 73 new infections on Monday following a month of Stage 4 lockdowns in capital city Melbourne, down from a peak of over 700 in early August. Photo: Xinhua
The country's refiners have been battered by the coronavirus-driven collapse in fuel demand, racking up losses which they say threaten the future of their plants as they compete against much bigger refineries around Asia.
"The government is committed to a sovereign on-shore refinery capacity despite the threat to the viability of the industry," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday.
To shore up near term fuel security, the government said it would include A$211 million in its upcoming budget to boost storage of diesel, crucial for farms, mines, trucks and back-up power.
"The events of 2020 have reminded us that we cannot be complacent. We need a sovereign fuel supply to shield us from potential shocks in the future," Morrison said in a statement.
The government said it would work with the industry to design a "refinery production payment" as an incentive to keep the four plants open. Together with an exemption from new fuel storage requirements, the incentives would be worth about A$2.3 billion over 10 years.
The four refiners all welcomed the proposals but made no commitment to stay open.
Newspaper headline: Australia offers oil refiners billions to keep plants open