Fuel shortages in Australia are likely to continue in the short and medium term.
Farmers, workers, and small businesses were left scrambling to secure fuel to keep essential operations running. Mr Bellingham a feedlot owner said rural industries could not function without reliable fuel supplies. "If we don't have fuel out here there is no food. It's pretty simple," he said.
For residents in rural towns like St George, where long distances make fuel essential, the rising prices are already biting. "It's pretty important. It's how the world keeps going and how the town keeps running," said 19-year-old Maricka Murphy. "The way the economy's going, I can barely afford to live."