Queensland is home to a new fossil fuel frontier, and quite possibly the long-term answer to Australia’s fuel security.

Taroom Trough sits 300km West of Brisbane on the ‘under-explored deep south Bowen Basin’. The area is known to be rich in oil and gas and was already earmarked for development before war in Iran revealed Australia’s desperate strategic situation.

At roughly the size of Singapore, the Taroom Trough contains commercially significant quantities of oil and gas from Permian-aged formations.

The Liberal Crisafulli government, at the beginning of 2026, opened additional areas of exploration in the Taroom Trough with the intention of pursuing the region as a major new supply of domestic resources.

Not only has the area’s oil and gas been proven by successful testing, it is also located within existing mining infrastructure with access to the Port of Gladstone along with rail and road access. It’s the pre-fab version of the mining industry and exactly what Australia needs at this critical time.

Screenshot from https://elixirenergy.com.au/queensland-gas-grandis/

As explained by the Aukus Forum, the major hiccup in this daring rescue plan is a lack of domestic refining capabilities. Australia has shuttered its refineries and that is a huge problem for the country going forward.

Most of the problems facing the development of this critical resource involve self-inflicted regulation that can be undone under emergency legislation if the government has the will to do so.

The Crisafulli government has been proactive in authorising fast-tracked exploration approval to several companies, and it is safe to assume this has become a top priority for Queensland.

In February, when announcements were being made but before the scale of the fuel crisis was known, conservation groups were already issuing their protests against Taroom Trough.

It was also noted at the time that the wells planned for the region would be ‘costly’ at $15 or $20 million … figures that seem like a bargain in the cold light of April.

The Taroom Trough sits at the base of the enormous Bowen Basin (no, not that Bowen), and is expected to yield commercial levels of oil and gas by the end of 2028.

As you may have guessed, this is not going to get Anthony Albanese out of his immediate fuel crisis, but managed properly, it could safeguard against future disruptions.

As for what’s happening right now, Premier David Crisafulli has expressed his outrage at the federal government for allowing the fuel situation to reach the point where over 100 service stations in Queensland are without fuel.

Remote areas of the state are struggling to keep supplies and carry a genuine risk of being cut off. Not to mention the widespread use of generators in remote communities along with mining, agriculture, and tourist industries set to be hit first and hardest if rationing takes place.

The Prime Minister can direct the public to go about their normal business over the Easter break all he likes, but if there’s no fuel, remote tourist areas have to cancel their bookings. There is no compensation for this. It’s a major loss to an industry that never recovered from Covid lockdowns.

The government’s decision to scrap fuel excise and other fees has provided a band-aid that will stick for a week or two. It is not a solution to supply.

Australia must drill, refine and store fuel – never again can we be where we are today. pic.twitter.com/fFXGKhoElg

— David Crisafulli (@DavidCrisafulli) March 30, 2026

So far, David Crisafulli is the only Premier to take direct action to fix the long-term problem of fuel security and he has done so with remarkable clarity and urgency.

Credit where credit is due.

If Crisafulli can pull this off, and if he can keep the eco-warriors at bay while common sense flourishes, we might end up negotiating with Queensland instead of China.

As for our other state premiers, ‘Where the bloody hell are you?’