Australians may have to ration fuel as a "last resort", according to an energy expert, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encourages people to avoid driving where they can.

The Grattan Institute Energy and Climate Change Program director Alison Reeve said the federal government will likely consider rationing fuel supply if all other contingencies fail.

"The first one is to make sure that we are keeping the Asian refineries supplying fuel to Australia, because that's where most of our refined fuel comes from," she said.

READ MORE: Red meat shortage, price hikes coming if farmers can't secure more fuel

"If those supplies don't end up being adequate, and that may happen because all of those refineries rely on oil from the Middle East, the second layer is that we start importing fuel from further away, so possibly from the US.

"The third layer is an informal demand management situation."

Australia is currently in phase two of its four-point national fuel plan: keep Australia moving.

Fuel rationing could be implemented at phase four if ongoing supply chain disruptions require government intervention to protect critical services.

The federal government has made it clear that it's trying to avoid fuel rationing and any COVID-style interventions. 

But Albanese used his rare national address last night to advise people to switch to public transport if they can to save fuel for those who have no choice but to drive.

READ MORE: Trump told US allies to 'get your own oil'. But he might be bluffing

"Farmers and miners and tradies who need diesel, every single day, and all those shift workers and nurses, who do so much for our country," he said.

Reeve said the remarks were a way to signal "well ahead of time" who would be exempt from potential fuel rationing measures.

"He's building a social expectation around what the priority order will be without actually having to legislate it," she said.

Australia currently has 39 days of petrol, 30 days of diesel and 30 days of jet fuel available and the federal government has secured fuel shipments through to May.

While the figures seem alarming on the surface, Reeve said the reserves are a buffer that can be extended if demand drops.

"If we drop fuel consumption by 20 per cent, the 30 days of diesel reserves will actually last for 150 days," she said. 

READ MORE: Was Albanese's prime-time address really worth all that bother?

The war in Iran seems far from over as US President Donald Trump today declared that operations will only intensify in the coming two to three weeks.

He left it to allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after previously calling for their support and receiving little to none, or suggested they buy their oil from the US.

"They should take the lead in protecting the oil that they so desperately depend on," he said in a national address.

"Build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and get it, take it. Protect it, use it for yourselves."

The global conflict has raised fuel prices past $3 a litre, caused panic-buying and left hundreds of petrol stations running low across Australia.

Reeve warned that supply chains and fuel prices will never go back to what they were.

READ MORE: WA premier enacts emergency fuel powers as PM urges calm

"We will probably all adjust in the meantime," she said.

"One of the things that happens, and this is similar to what we saw with COVID, it's similar to what we saw in the 1970s and 80s with oil shocks, people actually permanently change their behaviour.

"People buy smaller cars, for example. The big option that we've got now is switching to electric cars. Maybe we start to use fertiliser differently.

"That actually means that things never go back to exactly the same set of supply chains and prices that you had before, but they'll get to a new kind of equilibrium point where everyone's got what they need, and that's because the supply is adjusted, but also because the demand has adjusted."

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has flagged major gambling reform in his National Press Club address today in Canberra.

The federal government is expected to act on some of the 31 recommendations from the gambling harm inquiry, which landed on desks over 1000 days ago.

"We don't want kids growing up thinking that footy and gambling are inextricably linked," Albanese said.

LIVE UPDATES: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to give National Press Club address

He announced sweeping changes to how gambling is advertised in Australia.

There will be a cap of three TV advertisements per hour for betting agencies between 6am and 8.30pm.

Gambling ads will also be banned on radio during school pick-up and drop-off hours.

More significantly, the government will also outlaw gambling advertising on jerseys, jumpers and in stadiums.

Cross-promotion content that mixes commentary with odds will also be banned, as will illegal, offshore gaming sites and online Keno-type products.

Online advertising will only be allowed to be served to users who verify they're over 18, and it must include a means for users to opt-out.

LIVE UPDATES: Iran says Trump's ceasefire remarks are 'false and baseless'

The government also intends to keep building on its BetStop national self-exclusion program.

"We are getting the balance right," Albanese said.

"Letting adults have a punt if they want to, but making sure our children don't see betting ads everywhere they look."

A 2025 report from The Australia Institute found that up to 600,000 underage teens aged 12 to 17 were gambling a combined $18 million annually.

Overall gambling losses in Australia topped $31 billion in 2022-2023, the highest recorded figure in the last 20 years.

Per capita losses were estimated at around $1527, up by nearly $100 from $1461 in 2021–22.

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Donald Trump has vowed to bomb Iran "back to the Stone Age" in a national address in which he claimed victory while palming off responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz to other countries.

In a 20-minute primetime speech, the visibly tired US president made no new announcements and repeated many of his old talking points.

Trump said US operations in Iran are going to get more intense in coming weeks.

READ MORE: Major airport to be renamed for Donald Trump

But he also claimed his strategic objectives were "near completion".

"We are going to finish the job, we're going to finish it very fast," he said.

It's not a new claim from Trump. Throughout the war he has repeatedly claimed it would soon be over.

He threatened the Iranian regime with more violence if they didn't make a deal.

"We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks," he said.

"We are going to hit them back to the Stone Age where they belong."

Trump also expressed his indifference to Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz.

READ MORE: Trump on shaky ground after Democrats win Mar-a-Lago seat

"We don't have to be there. We don't need their oil. We're here to help our allies," he said.

He claimed Iran would "soon have missiles that would reach the American homeland".

"They had some weapons that nobody believed they would have," he said.

"Their race for a nuclear bomb, a nuclear weapon that nobody's ever seen before. They were right at the doorstep."

He made some odd deviations, including emphasising that Barack Obama's deal with Iran involved a lot of "green, green cash".

Trump began his speech by congratulating the team at NASA over the successful takeoff of the Artemis rocket.

"They are on the way and God bless them," he said.

He then started talking about the military operation in Venezuela in January.

The president "as always, lied" said top Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.

"Over two weeks ago he said 'we won'. If so, then why are we still there? What's next?" he said on Bluesky.

"All we can count on is more lies from Trump. This delusional man is a danger to our country and the world."

Trump's speech has not been well received on Wall Street.

Dow Jones and Nasdaq futures plummeted during his speech, well below the market close.

Meanwhile crude oil and natural gas prices have skyrocketed.

After dropping to below $US100 a barrel yesterday, it is now over $US104 and climbing.

READ MORE: Donald Trump storms out of Supreme Court as he faces loss

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The escalating fuel crisis is having a major impact on regional tourism ahead of the Easter holidays, with some venues reporting a big drop-off in last-minute bookings.

One NSW holiday park owner says he has seen a major shift in booking patterns this year, with tourists worried about being stranded because of a fuel shortage.

Frank, the owner and manager of a tourist parkin NSW said rising fuel costs had "impacted us very quickly", with a noticeable drop in last-minute reservations.

"We usually get lots of last-minute bookings, but [the fuel crisis] has killed all of that inquiry," he added.

READ MORE: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warns 'economic shocks' to be 'with us for months' in rare national address

Rising fuel prices are beginning to reshape Easter travel plans, with holiday parks and accommodation providers reporting changes in booking behaviour ahead of the long weekend.

While some operators remain fully booked, others say uncertainty around travel costs is already affecting demand.

Frank said tourists would typically make their bookings in the week or two leading up to the Easter long weekend, but that pattern had seen a shift this year.

"We have not seen any of that this year. 

"It is looking very quiet."

The holiday park manager added that uncertainty around travel costs was contributing to the hesitation, with some travellers unsure whether they could afford the trip.

"People don't know if they will be able to make it home." 

However, some parks remain busy, thanks mainly to accommodation being booked well in advance of the war in the Middle East.

One employee from a caravan park in Coffs Harbour told nine.com.au the venue had seen some cancellations in recent weeks, particularly towards the school holiday period, but demand for Easter remained strong.

"We are fully booked for this Easter weekend," she said, adding that bookings are typically made well in advance, often up to a year ahead.

But a manager from another Coffs Harbour motel confirmed there had been some cancellations.

The mixed responses highlight a shift in travel behaviour as Australians weigh up the cost of road trips during a traditionally busy holiday period, with some destinations holding strong while others face a quieter lead-up to Easter.

Some regional holiday parks and accommodation providers have found it necessary to offer fuel vouchers and adjust their booking systems allowing flexibility in uncertain times.

The Easter period is one of the most important times of year for regional tourism, supporting thousands of jobs across the country.

The Australian Tourism Industry Council says regional tourism generates $15.4 billion in visitor spending and supports more than 53,000 jobs.

In a media release, the council backed measures aimed at easing pressure on travellers, including the temporary cut to fuel excise, and encouraged Australians to continue supporting regional tourism.

"That message is especially important heading into the Easter school holidays.

"Every trip taken – particularly to a regional destination – directly supports local businesses and the people they employ," said Erin McLeod, CEO of the Australian Tourism Industry Council.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the nation on Wednesday night in a live broadcast.

He sent out a message to Australia that "the economic shocks caused by this war will be with us for months.

"The months ahead may not be easy.

"I want to be up-front about that."

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