How to Monitor Australia's Fuel Situation: Best Websites and Dashboards

Australia imports over 90% of its refined fuel from overseas refineries, primarily in Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia. With only two domestic refineries still operating (Ampol Lytton in Queensland and Viva Geelong in Victoria), the country is heavily exposed to global supply chain disruptions. Since the Strait of Hormuz crisis began in late February 2026, tracking fuel reserves, import flows, pump prices and shortage risks has become essential for businesses and households alike.

This guide reviews the most useful websites for monitoring Australia's fuel supply, broken down into official government sources and independent third-party trackers. For each, we note whether the site provides current status reporting, short-term predictions, or both.

Official Government Sources

These are the primary data publishers. They carry the highest level of authority but tend to present raw data with limited analysis.

DCCEEW Fuel Security Pages

URL: dcceew.gov.au/energy/security/australias-fuel-security

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is the central authority for fuel security policy in Australia. The department publishes weekly Minimum Stockholding Obligation (MSO) statistics that show how many days of petrol, diesel and jet fuel the country holds onshore. Regulated entities report stock levels every Tuesday and aggregate data is published on Saturday via a Power BI dashboard.

Before the crisis, MSO data was only published quarterly. The shift to weekly reporting in March 2026 was a direct response to the Strait of Hormuz disruption.

Type of content: Current status only. The DCCEEW provides raw stock volumes and days-of-cover figures but does not publish forecasts or predictive modelling.

Reliability: Very high. This is the official source from which almost every other tracker draws its reserve data. The MSO captures entities representing 98% of all diesel and 100% of gasoline and jet fuel supplied in Australia.

Key pages:
- MSO Statistics (weekly): dcceew.gov.au/.../minimum-stockholding-obligation/statistics
- Securing Australia's Fuel Supply (crisis updates): dcceew.gov.au/about/news/securing-australias-fuel-supply

ACCC Fuel and Petrol Monitoring

URL: accc.gov.au/by-industry/petrol-and-fuel/fuel-and-petrol-monitoring

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission monitors retail prices of unleaded petrol, diesel and LPG across all capital cities and over 190 regional locations. Its monitoring mandate was renewed in December 2025 for five more years. The ACCC publishes quarterly petrol monitoring reports with detailed analysis of price movements.

During the current crisis, the ACCC has also been watching for anti-competitive behaviour and price gouging at the pump, adding an enforcement dimension to its reporting.

Type of content: Current status with quarterly retrospective analysis. No forward-looking predictions.

Reliability: Very high. The ACCC is an independent statutory authority with legal powers to compel data reporting from fuel companies.

National Fuel Security Plan (PM&C)

URL: pmc.gov.au/resources/national-fuel-security-plan

The Prime Minister and Cabinet department published the National Fuel Security Plan, agreed by National Cabinet, which outlines the staged response framework for fuel supply disruptions. The plan defines escalation levels and the types of measures that apply at each stage, from enhanced monitoring all the way up to formal rationing.

Type of content: Policy framework and response levels. Useful for understanding what government actions to expect as conditions change.

Reliability: Very high. This is the official crisis response playbook.

AIP (Australian Institute of Petroleum) Pricing Data

URL: aip.com.au/pricing

The AIP publishes daily Terminal Gate Prices (wholesale fuel prices) for petrol and diesel across seven capital cities, based on data from BP, Ampol, Viva Energy and ExxonMobil. It also releases weekly petrol prices reports with commentary on market factors influencing pump prices. Historical data is available for download as Excel spreadsheets.

Type of content: Current wholesale and retail pricing data. Weekly reports include market context but no shortage predictions.

Reliability: High. The AIP is the peak national body representing Australia's downstream petroleum industry. Data comes directly from major fuel companies.

State Government Fuel Price Tools

Several state governments run their own fuel price reporting platforms:

• NSW FuelCheck: fuelcheck.nsw.gov.au - Real-time prices from over 2,500 stations. During the crisis, stations are expected to report availability, not just price.
• WA FuelWatch: fuelwatch.wa.gov.au - Mandatory daily price reporting. Unique in that tomorrow's prices are published after 4 PM the day before.
• TAS FuelCheck: fuelcheck.tas.gov.au - Real-time fuel price reporting for Tasmania.
• QLD and SA: No dedicated government app, but retailers must report price changes within 30 minutes. Third-party apps access this data.

Type of content: Current pump prices and availability only. No predictions.

Reliability: Very high for pricing data within their respective states.

Independent and Non-Government Trackers

These sites emerged or gained prominence during the 2026 crisis. They typically combine official government data with additional analysis, modelling, or vessel tracking. Their reliability varies.

FuelSecurity Australia

URL: fuelsecurity.com.au

Run by the Australian Institute of AI Pty Ltd (ACN 677 958 208), this is arguably the most comprehensive independent fuel tracker currently available. It was built and launched rapidly as a public interest project and is not affiliated with any government, oil company or political organisation.

Key features:
- Live AIS-based tanker tracking showing inbound fuel vessels to Australian ports
- Scenario modelling engine at fuelsecurity.com.au/scenarios where users can adjust parameters like import flow percentage, demand multiplier, rationing level, refinery utilisation and crude supply
- Daily briefings and a detailed white paper on Australia's fuel vulnerability
- Data sourced from NSW FuelCheck API, WA FuelWatch, ACCC weekly monitoring and AIP terminal gate prices

Type of content: Both current status AND predictions. The scenario engine is the standout feature, allowing users to model different outcomes based on adjustable assumptions. All assumptions are transparent and visible.

Reliability: Moderate to high. The site is transparent about its methodology and sources. Every parameter is adjustable, so users can challenge assumptions directly. However, it was created very recently by a small AI company, not a fuel industry body. Its scenario models are simplified daily timestep calculations. The site carries a clear disclaimer that it provides modelling, not financial or policy advice. Reserve estimates are based on government-reported figures which may include fuel on ships in Australia's exclusive economic zone (potentially 30-50% not immediately accessible onshore).

NZ Oil Watch (Australia Section)

URL: nzoilwatch.com/au

Originally focused on New Zealand, NZ Oil Watch expanded to cover Australia with a dedicated section. It provides live fuel reserve countdowns based on DCCEEW stock cover data, vessel tracking, live pump-price monitoring and scenario analytics.

Type of content: Both current status and predictions. Includes scenario modelling similar to FuelSecurity Australia.

Reliability: Moderate. The site aggregates official data sources (DCCEEW for reserves, government APIs for prices) and uses shipping data from platforms like MyShipTracking and VesselFinder. It is not government-affiliated and its analysis is clearly labelled as AI-generated with a warning that it may contain errors. The New Zealand version of the site has been more established and references MBIE data for NZ reserves. The Australian section is newer and less tested. Useful as a secondary cross-reference, especially for comparing Australia and New Zealand fuel situations side by side.

AussieOilWatch

URL: aussieoilwatch.com

An independent dashboard focused on fuel reserve countdowns and live pricing across every Australian state. The site explicitly states that it displays official DCCEEW stock-day figures and surplus percentages directly from the government's Power BI report without applying any burn-rate modelling.

Key features:
- Reserve data polled from DCCEEW every 60 minutes, dashboard re-renders every 5 minutes
- Station-level fuel prices from official government APIs across NSW/ACT, QLD, SA, WA, NT and TAS, polled every 30 minutes
- Clean separation between official data and site presentation

Type of content: Current status only. The site deliberately avoids modelling or predictions, choosing instead to present government data in a more accessible format.

Reliability: Moderate to high for what it does. By sticking to official data without adding its own modelling layer, AussieOilWatch avoids the risk of misleading projections. However, it is a recently created independent project with no disclosed organizational backing. Good for a quick visual read of the current reserve and pricing picture.

FuelRadar Australia

URL: fuelradar.com.au

A real-time tracker focused specifically on which petrol stations are running dry across Australia. The site monitors government-mandated fuel price feeds and flags stations as "running dry" when a reported price hits $999.90 (a standard placeholder for out-of-stock) or zero.

Key features:
- Station-level outage tracking with state-by-state breakdown
- Data refreshed every 5 minutes
- Interactive map to find nearby stations that still have fuel

Type of content: Current status only (station-level availability). No reserve modelling or predictions.

Reliability: Moderate. The outage detection method is clever and based on official data feeds, but the site itself labels its dashboard as "Beta Preview" and notes that outage algorithms are still being refined. Useful during acute shortages when finding fuel at the pump level is the priority.

Fuel Crisis Australia

URL: fuelcrisisaustralia.com.au

A dashboard tracking national oil reserves, MSO levels and live petrol and diesel prices across all capital cities. Also tracks WTI crude oil prices and includes breaking news related to the Strait of Hormuz situation.

Type of content: Current status with some contextual analysis.

Reliability: Moderate. Aggregates official data (DCCEEW MSO, price feeds) into a single dashboard. Recently created in response to the crisis. Useful as a one-stop overview but offers little beyond what the official sources already publish.

PetrolSpy

URL: petrolspy.com.au

A well-established fuel price comparison app and website that predates the current crisis. PetrolSpy accesses state government API data where available and also includes user-submitted prices for Victoria. It covers most major retailers including Ampol, Caltex, Shell, BP, 7-Eleven and United Petroleum.

Type of content: Current pump prices only. No supply or reserve tracking.

Reliability: High for pricing. PetrolSpy has been around for years, has strong user reviews on Google Play and App Store, and is frequently recommended by Australian tech reviewers as one of the most accurate fuel price apps. It accesses the same government data feeds as the state apps but presents them in a more user-friendly cross-state format.

Summary Table

Recommended Monitoring Strategy

For the most complete picture, combine multiple sources:

1. For reserve levels: Start with DCCEEW MSO statistics (published every Saturday). Cross-check with AussieOilWatch for a cleaner visual presentation of the same data.

2. For wholesale pricing trends: Use AIP terminal gate prices, updated daily for seven capital cities.

3. For pump-level prices and availability: Use your state's official FuelCheck or FuelWatch tool, supplemented by PetrolSpy for cross-state comparison. During shortages, FuelRadar can help identify which stations still have fuel.

4. For scenario modelling and forward-looking analysis: FuelSecurity Australia's scenario engine is currently the most transparent tool available. Adjust the sliders yourself rather than relying on the default "current trajectory" settings.

5. For early risk signals: NZ Oil Watch can provide additional context on shipping movements and supply chain pressure, but should always be cross-referenced against official data.

No single website gives you the full picture. The official government sources are the most reliable for hard data, while the independent trackers add value through better visualization, scenario tools and real-time aggregation. Keep in mind that most of the independent sites were created very recently in response to the 2026 crisis and have not been tested over long periods.