Dominating the front page of The Canberra Times today in 1979 was a report on the restrictions on the total amount of petrol ACT service stations could sell.
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Service stations had restrictions of limited total sales for the week which equated to 2 days, or 30 percent, of normal trading. The arrival of large quantities of petrol from interstate followed the lifting of the restriction.
It was reported that more than 5 million litres of petrol was imported during the week. The ACT Controller of Fuels, Mr Lyall Gillespie said the restriction was to end petrol queuing. Mr Gillespie had received many complaints from Canberra's 80-odd service station proprietors.
It was argued that if the restrictions weren't lifted, it would lead to staff retrenchments, restricted trading hours and a continuation of panic buying. The only restriction that remained was that service stations kept at least one day's normal demand in stock.
The declared fuel emergency in the ACT continued as the measures to provide fuel for emergency needs under the permit system.
The 30 percent sales limit on service stations did not apply to petrol from sources outside NSW, enabling some Canberra service stations to maintain a well stocked supply for the public throughout the shortage.
