As we continue to navigate pressures from the world crisis the Government has released details of changes to their Fuel Response Plan. The outcome reflects our recent submission on the priority levels.
The situation remains stable
According to the Government, a major fuel shortage remains very unlikely. There are no current signals suggesting this will change. If disruption does occur, it is most likely to be short-term and manageable — such as delays in shipments. Supply is being monitored well in advance, with visibility of risks up to around three months ahead.
As at 19 May, New Zealand is in Phase 1 (Watchful), which means the fuel market is operating effectively. Fuel is available nationwide. Any decision to move through response stages is based on overall supply risk — not a single measure such as days of fuel supply.
Why we’ve been engaged on this
Hospitality isn’t a heavy direct user of fuel — but we’re deeply dependent on it indirectly. Every delivery that arrives at your back door, every supplier run, every staff member driving to a shift — all of it relies on fuel moving through the system. As we’ve already started to see, when that’s disrupted, we feel it immediately.
We made a submission to the Government making the case that food supply chains — including the distributors, wholesalers, and specialty suppliers we all rely on — need to be protected within the prioritisation framework. We also raised workforce mobility, particularly in regional areas and across shift-based rosters.
The updated priority plan
The revised framework announced by the Government reflects the position we put forward. Under Phase 4 — which would only be triggered by a severe and prolonged disruption, and which modeled scenarios indicate is highly unlikely — the Government has established a clear priority framework for fuel access.
Food and freight sits in the second priority band, with uncapped access to fuel. This means that in a worst-case scenario, the supply chains that keep our businesses operating are protected. Critical services including emergency and health services and lifeline utilities retain priority uncapped access at all phases.
We’re continuing to monitor the situation and staying engaged with government. We’ll keep you updated as things develop.