CANBERRA – After US President Donald Trump announced an immediate naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of peace talks with Iran – a move analysts say will spike global fuel prices – the Federal Government has confirmed it takes the impact on remote First Nations communities “very seriously” and will commission a scoping study to explore the feasibility of a working group to examine the issue by mid-2028.
The Strait of Hormuz is responsible for roughly 20 per cent of global oil supplies – meaning the blockade is expected to drive petrol prices higher across Australia. In remote communities where fuel already costs upward of $3.40 per litre and the nearest servo is a three-hour drive on an unsealed road, the news landed about as well as a consultation letter written entirely in bureaucratic English.
“We hear the concerns of community,” said a spokesperson for the Minister responsible for remote service delivery. “That’s why we’ve established a cross-departmental taskforce to develop a framework for a future response strategy.”
Local Elder Aunty Beryl from a community that Gammon News is keeping deliberately unnamed for reasons of basic dignity said the announcement was not entirely surprising.
“Every time something goes wrong out there in the world they act like we haven’t been paying double for everything since before they were born,” she said. “Send us a solar panel. We’ll be right.”
Trump said the blockade was intended to deny Iran the economic leverage it has used as a bargaining chip – a concept remote community residents noted was not unlike how essential services get dangled during Land Use Agreement negotiations.
The scoping study is expected to cost $4.2 million and will not include direct community consultation.
The taskforce met briefly before deciding to meet again later.
Discover more from I-News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
