Six of 81 ships carrying fuel to Australia cancelled since start of Iran war, Bowen says
Chris Bowen said it was a challenging international situation, and while import ships were still arriving, some had been cancelled. The energy minister said:
double quotation markWe get, on average, around 81 boats a month delivering fuel to Australia. We’re aware of six boats that have been cancelled out of that 81, on average.
Some of those have already been replaced by the importers and refiners with other sources.
Updated at 19.28 EDT
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Tropical cyclone Narelle continues to weaken and has now been downgraded to an ex-tropical cyclone, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
However, a severe weather warning remained in place across the central and western Top End due to the risk of heavy, locally intense rainfall and damaging winds.
The ex-tropical cyclone was currently located about 225km northeast of Katherine, bringing wind gusts to 100km/h.
Read more: Saturated NT braces for Tropical Cyclone Narelle
As Tropical Cyclone Narelle makes its way across the Top End, many territory communities are still reeling from a series of extreme weather events.
(A)manda Parkinson details the effects the extraordinary wet season has had on the region in this story:
Katherine River in flood, Katherine, NT. Sunday 22 March 2026. Video: (A)manda ParkinsonShare
Updated at 21.05 EDT
NSW town flips switch on Australia’s first community-owned solar farm and battery
Australia’s first community co-op solar farm and battery has officially opened in Goulburn, New South Wales.
The project, a 1.4-megawatt solar farm with a 4MWh battery, is owned by 288 investors, 80% of whom are from the region’s community.
Move over, Big Merino, Goulburn has a new star attraction. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Andrew Bray, the chair of the Goulburn Community Energy Co-operative, said it was the culmination of 12 years of hard work by the community.
double quotation markThe powerful thing is these members now have a stake in a renewable energy power plant rather than leaving the clean energy market to large national and international interests. It is a great step in true benefit sharing.
The co-op ownership structure means that each investor has one vote, regardless of the size of their shareholding. As well as financial returns for investors, Bray said a portion of annual profits would be directed to a community fund to address energy poverty in the area.
Edison Zhou, the group director of Australia and New Zealand for Trinasolar Asia Pacific, which supplied the solar modules and energy storage, said:
double quotation markCommunity energy projects like this one show what is possible when local determination meets the right technology and the right partners.
We are proud that Trinasolar’s solar modules, tracker and storage solutions could play a part in making it a reality, demonstrating that advanced clean‑energy technology is no longer just for large-scale developers, it is accessible to communities too.
The solar farm is completing final commissioning and is expected to be fully connected to the grid within weeks.
Updated at 20.51 EDT
Severe weather warning for central Top End as Tropical Cyclone Narelle heads west
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for intense rain and damaging winds across the central Top End, south of Darwin, as Tropical Cyclone Narelle continues its westward path.
Heavy rain, including six-hourly totals of 80 to 120mm, is heading for Katherine and the Daly River district – areas already dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding.
Flood water in Katherine from heavy rain earlier in March, as the region prepares for more severe weather. Photograph: (A)manda Parkinson/The Guardian
Prolonged significant flooding would continue at Daly police station, after river levels peaked at 16.42m last Sunday, above the 1998 flood level (16.25m).
According to the BoM, the river is expected to remain above the major flood level for the rest of the weekend and into next week, with renewed rises possible.
Significant flooding is also possible at Nitmiluk.
Updated at 21.07 EDT
Missing elderly Japanese tourist found alive in Tasmanian national park
An 81-year-old Japanese tourist, who was reported missing in Cradle Mountain national park, has been found alive this morning, Tasmanian Police said.
A search operation was launched about midnight on Saturday when the man could not be contacted.
Members of the public, not involved in the search, located the man about 7.45am on Sunday.
Police reported that he had walked away from his accommodation during the night and became disoriented in the darkness.
double quotation markThe male was located with non life-threatening injuries and is being assessed by Ambulance Tasmania paramedics at the scene. Police would like to thank all assisting Tasmanian emergency services and members of the public in successfully locating the missing person.
Updated at 20.24 EDT
Explainer: Could Australia ration fuel?
While fuel rationing is not on the cards just yet, according to the energy minister, Chris Bowen, federal and state governments have the power to ration supplies in an emergency.
If you’re wondering what that could look like, this explainer from Guardian Australia’s economics editor Patrick Commins provides some context:
Updated at 19.20 EDT
Bowen concedes fuel supply slowdown after earlier shrugging off reports top oil sources could cut Australia
Speaking on ABC’s Insiders program, Chris Bowen has acknowledged that the flow of crude oil to some key importers has slowed, leading to knock-on effects for their customers, including Australia.
My Guardian Australia colleagues reported on this on Friday, noting that the energy minister had shrugged off reports that some countries may prioritise their needs over exporting fuel to Australia.
They wrote:
double quotation markMajor sources of Australian oil, including Malaysia and South Korea, could cut their exports to prioritise local fuel needs, energy experts have warned, as Chris Bowen concedes some service stations are running out of stock. The energy minister said governments had ‘powers’ to ration petrol if supplies were more severely disrupted.
Bowen shrugged off reports in the Australian Financial Review on Thursday that the Malaysian embassy said the country’s government would ‘prioritise our own needs, and only then we can look at whatever demand that we receive from overseas’. Malaysia is Australia’s top source of crude oil.
Read more here:
Updated at 19.55 EDT
Australia not ‘contemplating’ fuel rationing but state and federal governments have powers, Bowen says
State governments also had fuel rationing powers, Chris Bowen said.
double quotation markWhen I was a kid … in the 80s in Sydney, I remember petrol rationing was done by state governments – the state governments do have powers there.
Yes, the Commonwealth government, under the fuel emergency act, has powers.
We are not contemplating, at this point, needing to use any of those powers.
Of course, they’re there. And I think that can also give Australians reassurance that, yes, there are powers there, and there’s plans in place and contingency, prudent contingency planning for the worst.
Updated at 19.23 EDT
Rationing under fuel emergency act only to be invoked in extreme shortage, Bowen says
The National Fuel Emergency Act 1984, which enables measures such as fuel rationing, had never been invoked, including during the first two Gulf wars and the Covid-19 pandemic, Chris Bowen said. The energy minister said:
double quotation markIt’s not designed to be invoked lightly. It really has powers primarily around defence and health, in the first instance, to ensure that those key areas are getting diesel that they need, but also other forms of fuel.
I would need to be satisfied that there’s a real shortage and that the powers under that act are useful.
I wouldn’t exercise those quite remarkable powers unless I had pretty strong advice that it was necessary in the circumstances, and obviously it’s something I would work through with the states.
Updated at 19.05 EDT
‘Massive increase’ in fuel demand hitting regional areas hardest, Bowen says
Petrol stations were facing a huge spike in demand – a 100% increase in a few days, which Chris Bowen said was “understandable and expected”.
double quotation markWe’ve seen a massive increase in demand, accompanied by that increase in regional areas. Obviously, the regional areas are where the supply chain is the hardest to manage. It takes longer to get from Geelong and Brisbane to the various regional areas.
You’ve also got lots of rural suppliers, distributors and service stations working on very tight margins and not always able to access fuel that’s available.
Updated at 18.51 EDT
Six cancelled fuel deliveries mainly from Asia, Bowen says
The six cancelled fuel deliveries were primarily from Asia, Chris Bowen said.
double quotation markIt’s a matter of the refineries seeing some supply problems with their crude oil, which is then impacting on their ability to deliver to their customers, including Australia, but not exclusively Australia.
I’ve always been clear, we’re in an uncertain environment.
Updated at 18.43 EDT
Six of 81 ships carrying fuel to Australia cancelled since start of Iran war, Bowen says
Chris Bowen said it was a challenging international situation, and while import ships were still arriving, some had been cancelled. The energy minister said:
double quotation markWe get, on average, around 81 boats a month delivering fuel to Australia. We’re aware of six boats that have been cancelled out of that 81, on average.
Some of those have already been replaced by the importers and refiners with other sources.
Updated at 19.28 EDT
Chris Bowen gives fuel crisis update
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, gave an update on the fuel crisis, telling the ABC Insiders program that petrol supply had increased to 38 days, with 30 days of diesel and jet fuel.
double quotation markThat indicates that while we’ve released more from the strategic reserve, the ships continue to arrive in good numbers, and both [of] our refineries are working absolute full pelt, and they’re both entirely 100% dedicated to Australian suppliers, not exports.
Chris Bowen. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 18.48 EDT
Federal government must ensure prosperity for all, Malinauskas says
The SA premier, Peter Malinauskas, has told Insiders that the federal government needed to get the economic settings right to ensure that people weren’t left behind as the economy grew.
double quotation markI think the prime minister, and the entirety of the federal Labor team, are very conscious of the fact that you’re going to make sure that, first and foremost, the economic settings are right – to ensure that a growing economy doesn’t leave people behind and actually delivers a dividend for more people to have a degree of prosperity in their lives.
And that’s, of course, a very difficult thing to achieve, particularly in a global climate like the one that we have now
Updated at 18.25 EDT
Triumphant Malinauskas says housing key to counter rise of protest parties
The re-elected South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, said mainstream parties needed to offer a clear policy agenda in response to the rise of parties like One Nation.
Peter Malinauskas at his post-election function. Photograph: Matt Turner/AAP
Appearing on ABC Insiders, he said:
double quotation markIf I was going to pick one area of policy that requires ongoing, sustained effort around the country, it is undoubtedly housing. I think that social compact that we have in Australia, where one family to the next can pass on to the idea of home ownership as an aspiration – I think that’s at risk.
For me, it’s all in on housing.
Updated at 19.27 EDT
Good morning
Welcome to another Sunday Guardian live blog.
We’ll continue to bring you the latest on Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which crossed the Northern Territory coast early this morning as a severe category three system, and will continue moving west bringing rain and dangerous storm surges across the Top End.
We’ll also bring you all the wash-up from yesterday’s South Australian state election, and keep across the unfolding situation in Iran.
We’re expecting to hear from the energy minister, Chris Bowen, in TV interviews this morning for the latest on the fuel crisis, which the International Energy Agency has called the “largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”.
I’m Petra Stock, and I’ll be taking the blog through the day.
Updated at 18.12 EDT
Tropical Cyclone Narelle makes landfall in Top End as category 3 system
Tropical Cyclone Narelle has crossed the Northern Territory coast, bringing destructive winds up to 165km/h and intense rain, with the possibility of dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.
Narelle crossed about 4am local time as a severe category 3 system. It is now a category 2.
A warning is in place for communities between Milingimbi and Nathan River, extending westwards into the Top End, taking in Katherine, Bachelor, the Adelaide River, as well as the Daly River.
A BoM senior meteorologist, Jonathan How, said:
double quotation markWithin this severe weather warning zone, we will see 24-hour rainfall totals of between 180 [and] 230 millimetres, and some isolated locations could see more than 300mm, particularly to the north of Katherine, and this could produce dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
Narelle was forecast to weaken as it continued to move west on Sunday, but would still bring severe weather across parts of the territory already saturated by recent rains and flooding.
Major flood warnings were in place for the Katherine, Daly, Waterhouse and Georgina rivers and Eyre creek.
Satellite view of Tropical Cyclone Narelle as it moves across the Northern Territory, as of 8.20 AM AEDT, 22 March. Photograph: Bureau of MeteorologyShare
Updated at 21.07 EDT