Conservatives want more Australian oil and refineries – but is that really the answer to the fuel crisis?

The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, at the Ampol Lytton refinery in Brisbane. He says Australia needs to ‘drill, refine and store’ more of its own fuel. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

The war in Iran and concerns about oil supplied from the Middle East through the strait of Hormuz have put the spotlight on Australia’s reliance on imported petrol and diesel.

As fuel prices spiked, conservatives – particularly in Queensland – have argued the solution to a crisis tied to fossil fuels is to build more oil infrastructure such as refineries and storage.