Demands for fuel action for regional Victoria

The Nationals' Melina Bath has told state parliament that regional Victoria faces an escalating diesel crisis and demanded the Allan Government prioritise fuel supplies outside of metropolitan Melbourne to keep agriculture and transport moving.

Ms Bath said farmers across eastern Victoria rely on a stable and sufficient supply of diesel to sow, grow and harvest crops, manage livestock operations and transport produce.

"Without immediate action that prioritises fuel supply regionally, our food supply chain is at direct and imminent risk," Ms Bath said.

"Despite repeated clear warnings on the unfolding crisis, the state and commonwealth Labor governments continued to ignore the severity of the fuel shortages outside metropolitan areas.

"Diesel scarcity and high prices are already disrupting agriculture, driving up operational costs and threatening the availability and affordability of essential goods on our supermarket shelves."

Ms Bath said every delay in Labor's response places greater pressure on farmers who cannot operate and negatively impacts every household who depends on a reliable and affordable food supply.

"Fuel security is a fundamental necessity for the functioning of farms, freight, emergency services and regional and peri-urban households - it's not optional," she said.

"Labor must take decisive steps to ensure fuel security is prioritised to protect the people who feed our state - anything less is an unacceptable failure of the Premier's leadership."