Fuel plan shows how rationing would roll out — if ever needed
Monday, 11 May 2026
The Government has released the details of phases three and four of its national fuel plan after more than a month of consultation.
It includes phase three focusing on the Government releasing extra fuel stocks into the economy.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was highly unlikely the country would need to move to phase four but the Government needed to be prepared.
Phase four would introduce transaction limits at the pump for the general public, while critical users — including emergency services, health, schools, courts, money services and lifeline utilities — would retain priority and uncapped access.
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Food and freight operators would retain uncapped access to fuel, subject to demand-reduction requirements based on fuel‑saving plans. The Government would monitor compliance through spot checks.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said modelling suggested level four could reasonably be triggered if one or two tankers cancelled shipments at short notice.
“I want to say that doesn't seem likely to us based on the fact that the fuel refineries have told us they'd let us know well in advance if they were down on crude oil.”
Willis said the Government would not be policing every fuel transaction at the pump, and would instead expect businesses to manage fuel use through cards and their own plans.
She said spot checks were an option to make sure people weren’t taking more petrol then they should, but the first step would be a clear public message urging everyone to do their bit.
A separate jet-fuel plan had been developed with the aviation industry, recognising that its users and demand patterns differed from those for petrol and diesel.
Luxon said it was highly unlikely the country would reach phases three and four but they needed to prepare for whatever the global environment threw at them.
“Frankly it is better to have a plan you don’t use than to need one and be caught short.”
Willis said it was possible New Zealand would never move beyond phase one of the plan. She said consultation had made it clear that rationing or prioritisation should remain a last resort.
“I want to emphasis phase four is an extreme scenario that remains highly unlikely to occur.”
Phase one focused on education and information, with the Government commissioning an advertising campaign showing people how they could save fuel.
At phase two, the focus would shift to people economising on fuel, such as by combining trips. The Government would bring in a public sector fuel plan, which it has asked the Public Service Commission to prepare.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said “the bones” of a plan were there but disagreed with the Government’s plan on how to run phase four.
“The idea that businesses and everyone will just operate with goodwill, and, you know, employers can just have a quiet word with people, that seems to be very naive.”
Hipkins said the Government’s plan amounted to “do nothing, do nothing, do not very much, and then panic if we got to level four”.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said there would not be priority and uncapped access for critical users. (Amended May 11, 2026 at 4.13pm)