The number of service stations running out of fuel continues to climb as the war in the Middle East drags on, with at least 184 outlets out of petrol across Australia's three most populous states.
On Tuesday, 51 out of about 2500 service stations in NSW were out of fuel and 164 were out of diesel, compared with 38 and 131 respectively the previous day, Premier Chris Minns revealed in state parliament.
In Victoria, 101 service stations were out of petrol and 83 were without diesel, with the state's energy minister saying demand has increased as much as 400 per cent in some areas.
There were 32 stations in Queensland out of regular unleaded and 47 stations with no diesel.
The rising service station shortages come as the federal government's fuel supply taskforce meets for the first time on Tuesday afternoon.
State and territory leaders appointed Anthea Harris, the former chief executive of the nation's energy regulator, to lead the taskforce and co-ordinate efforts between jurisdictions on fuel supply chains .
Federal minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was doing all it could to guarantee fuel supply, with the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world's oil supply flows through.
"At the moment, we still have fuel coming to this country. We're working with states and territories to make sure that the distribution gets the fuel to where it needs to go," Ms Rishworth told Nine's Today program.
"We don't know how long this war is going to go on for. We don't know what assets might be attacked in any one day."
The rise in fuel prices - diesel has increased to more than $3 a litre in some areas - has prompted the government to fast-track support.
Labor said it would make changes to the Fair Work Act to allow truck drivers and transport businesses to make emergency applications for contract changes in response to the fuel price spikes.
The changes will allow trucking companies to re-negotiate their contracts faster and remove a six-month minimum waiting period for orders so companies aren't caught out by higher prices.
The changes would help spread costs more fairly across the supply chain and support a critical industry, Ms Rishworth said.
"Truckies and transport operators need to be protected from fuel price rises and it's important that costs are shared fairly," she said in a statement.
The measures were vital to keeping essential goods moving around the country, Transport Minister Catherine King said.
"Fuel price spikes are affecting everyone, but no one is feeling it more acutely than those whose livelihoods are behind the wheel," she said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a joint statement with Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong, affirming the two nations' commitment to energy security and sharing their concerns over the situation in the Middle East.
