SYDNEY, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The leader of Australia's most populous state said on Tuesday that the country must have more control over its energy to reduce exposure to future oil price shocks.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales (NSW), said that Australia must consider how it can reduce its reliance on oil from the Middle East amid the ongoing supply crisis caused by the conflict in the region.
"We need more sovereignty and control over our energy, and we need to be able to drive our economy independent of what happens in the Middle East," he said.
He said that policymakers in Australia must start making decisions now so that the country is not continually affected by conflicts in the Middle East.
Minns said that his government would use the upcoming state budget for the 2026-27 financial year and the campaign for the 2027 state election to announce long-term measures to electrify NSW's economy.
"That means more electric vehicles, it means more charging stations, it means more practical ways that we can look to the future of our economy," he said.
In response to fuel supply concerns, the NSW government on Tuesday announced it will adjust freight load limits to allow longer trucks to travel on the state's road network and lift curfews to allow more freight to travel, load and unload at night.
According to the NSW government, the longer trucks will use at least 18 percent less diesel per ton of payload and carry 33 percent more freight. ■
