"334 service stations without diesel."

That headline has been doing the rounds. It sounds alarming. It's designed to. What we forget though is that media businesses are designed to sell ads and calm headlines don't do that. What the coverage consistently leaves out is the full data: there are approximately 7,600 fuel stations across Australia that carry diesel. The ~334 without it represents 4.3% of the national network.

That's not nothing. There are genuine supply chain disruptions in play, and the people caught in the sharp end of this, whether that's remote communities, freight operators, or small tourism businesses watching bookings evaporate, are facing real pressure. This isn't a nothing story.

But it is a very different story to the one most Australians are reading.

This morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the federal government will underwrite the purchase of additional fuel supply, with legislation introduced from Monday and an emergency national cabinet meeting called for the same day. Energy Minister Chris Bowen confirmed the six April shipments that were cancelled or deferred have been more than replaced. "At least three other extra cargoes have been ordered by our refiners and importers so that for the next few weeks, Australia's supply of petrol and diesel and oil will be the same, if not higher than it normally would be," Bowen said this morning. Australia currently holds 39 days of petrol, 30 days of diesel and 30 days of jet fuel in reserve. Politics aside, that's objective data worth having.

The problem isn't just supply. It's the cycle the coverage is feeding. Headlines focus on shortage, not on the 95.7% of stations functioning normally. Consumers fill their tanks early and often, even when they're not heading anywhere. Sales data from early March shows typical consumption of petrol and diesel roughly doubled within ten days, overwhelming distribution networks designed for normal demand. Localised shortages appear. Those shortages become new headlines. The cycle repeats. Price gouging has fuelled the panic in a vicious cycle, and hopefully the ACCC delivers some Aussie karma in due time.

Tourism operators I've spoken with report something telling. Customers cancelling or postponing aren't citing fuel cost as the reason. They're citing uncertainty. They don't know whether they'll be able to get fuel where they're going and they're choosing to wait. That's a solvable problem. Uncertainty responds to information.

While the current fuel cost is a deal breaker for some, for many it's the uncertainty that's stopping their plans. They need someone to tell them clearly and confidently that 95.7% of stations have diesel (28 March) and that doing your homework before you leave is all it takes to travel well right now. A long range tank or a couple of jerry cans handles whatever gaps remain in between.

Fuel is expensive. Up to $3.30 per litre for diesel in the capitals, higher in some remote areas. Nobody is pretending otherwise. But fuel is one cost among many and a week-long 4WD trip with a family is still often significantly cheaper than the overseas holiday that same family just shelved. Domestic flights are still well priced. Campgrounds, national parks, stations and coastal towns that haven't had a visitor in months are waiting.

For tourism operators seeing a drop in inbound international visitors, a meaningful number of Australians who had Europe or South-East Asia in their 2026 plans are now looking for alternatives closer to home. Many have the budget. They just need pointing in the right direction.

Confident, accurate messaging is one of the most useful things a brand can produce right now. Share real fuel availability along your key routes. Talk about what it actually costs in fuel to reach you from the nearest capital. Show people the trip is doable, because for the vast majority of trips, it is.

The outdoor and tourism industry has navigated fires, floods, a pandemic and a dozen smaller disruptions over the past decade. The brands that held their ground through those periods, that kept communicating, kept being useful and didn't disappear into a defensive crouch, came out stronger on the other side.

This moment is no different. The supply situation will stabilise. Consumer confidence will return. The brands best placed to benefit will be the ones that were still showing up when things were uncertain.

The 4.3% is real. So is the 95.7%.

Lead with the full picture.