Business fears ‘serious interventions’ needed to reduce fuel demand as Labor warns of long-term ‘shock’

Chamber of commerce issues four-point plan to tackle effects of surge in fuel price and concerns over supply Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australian business groups have warned governments to consider how to reduce petrol demand and step up support for struggling businesses as the fuel crisis takes hold. Also on Sunday, the federal government urged Australians to stick with their Easter holiday travel plans – if they can afford to – but the environment minister, Murray Watt, warned the fuel shock was “not going to end any time soon”. Ahead of a national cabinet meeting tomorrow, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and state chambers of commerce issued what they called a “four-point plan to address the fuel crisis”. They said businesses needed help to secure fuel, and hinted that drastic measures might be necessary to curtail demand. “ACCI appreciates the steps the government has already taken, but efforts must be stepped up to ensure Australian businesses come through this crisis in the best shape possible,” its CEO, Andrew McKellar, said. The business groups’ plan included calls for the federal government to “wo