Today, I'm very pleased that Export Finance Australia has been able to work with businesses to secure four additional cargos of diesel for Australia. Combined, an additional 200 million liters of diesel for use in Australia. Two agreements through BP and two through Viva. These cargos coming from South Korea, two of them, one from Brunei and one from Malaysia. Two destinations where I visited last week and partners where we're working very closely in the interests of Australians going forward. Our work continues with Ampol, Park Fuels, IR and other fuel suppliers to secure additional fuel supplies in the coming days and weeks. In addition to that, we're working with Incitec Pivot and CSBP on securing fertilizer for Australian farmers. And last night I was able to talk with President Prabowo to thank him, the Indonesian president, for the 250,000 additional tons of fertilizer that we've been able to secure. What we're doing each and every day is working in the interests of Australians. I think Australians know, they see it on their TV every night that we're in a very volatile environment. There are different announcements each and every day and sometimes across just a number of hours about what is going on in the Middle East. We can't control all of that because we're not participants in that conflict. What we can control is how we respond. And we're responding by throwing everything at it, everything at supply to make a difference. As well as the difference that we've made to price by the cutting of fuel excise, which has made a difference reducing the price directly by that 32 cents per liter. I'll call upon the minister and then we're happy to take questions.
Thanks very much, Prime Minister. Well, as the prime minister said weeks ago, the government decided that we needed to intervene to ensure that Australians had access to the cargos that are available around the world, but in a very risky and volatile economic environment. And today, we're announcing the next steps building on the prime minister's announcement from Malaysia last week that we had secured 100 million liters of diesel. Today, another 200 million liters to build on that. Coming from Brunei, from Malaysia and from South Korea, partnering with Viva and with BP. I want to thank Paul and Scott Wyatt, the chief executives of BP and Viva who we're talking to every day, several times a day often, as we navigate this crisis together to make sure that Australians had the very best possible access. So these four cargos will come through by the last week in May or the first week in June. 50 million liters each. Slightly more for BP, 52 million liters on one cargo but a total of just over 200 million liters going to Brisbane, to Geelong, to here in Sydney and importantly to Kwinana in Perth and as agreed also focusing that extra supply. This is extra supply. This isn't what BP and Viva and the other companies would do in their normal course of business. They're doing that just every day with the 61 ships on their way to Australia as we speak. But this is extra supply to give us an extra buffer. Government intervening and working with BP and Viva and the other companies and focusing that extra supply on the regions where we have faced very significant demand for diesel and we need to keep up with that demand and we need to ensure that Australians in regional areas in particular know that that diesel will be there which they need for their agricultural purposes and for getting around regional Australia. This government is working very closely in the most volatile and unpredictable international circumstances imaginable to ensure that Australia is best possibly placed. Yesterday I convened the state and territory energy ministers for a meeting on this crisis internationally to make recommendations to first ministers through national cabinet. So we're in constant contact with the states as well as with private industry and we're working together as you'd expect as Australians would wish across the board to ensure that we are as best placed as possible. Thanks Prime Minister. Happy to take questions.
Well, what we're doing is providing additional supply. That's what this 300 million liters of additional supply we've achieved in the last 7 days has done. We've already reported that of the six ships that were due to come in April that were not coming, they were more than replaced by nine additional ship loads of fuel. What we're doing is continuing to do everything we can to secure as much supply as possible going forward. You can see behind us one of the regular arrivals. There are 61 ships on the water at the moment on their way to Australia, but these additional ship loads will help to secure that supply further into the future.
Prime Minister, on the gas tax levy question, you've spoken with WA Premier Roger Cook regarding this. That's what you said. Are you looking at a gas tax on exports and what reassurances have you given to the WA?
Well, I speak to Roger Cook all the time and I'll speak to every premier tomorrow. Our concentration is on supply. That's what we're focused on, fuel security here in Australia. But our budget will be handed down on May the 12th and everyone will see everything that's in the budget there.
Prime Minister, commentary about 100 million liters of fuel amounts to about a day and there's been some criticism that this is a bit of political theater in terms of his announcements. What's your response to that?
I think it speaks for itself. I don't know what you think, but do you think we should have secured an additional 200 million liters that we're announcing today? Do you think we should have delivered an additional 300 million liters over the last seven days through Export Finance Australia and working with the private sector? Always look at the counterfactual. We could be sitting back being critical or we could be out there working hard in the interest of Australians. We take the second option to be out there working hard in the interest of Australians. And I think that you yourself would recognize unless you want to tell us that's a bad thing what we're announcing today. Then I think it is positive going forward the work that we've done just as I'm sure farmers will appreciate the 250,000 additional tons of fertilizer that we've been able to secure as well.
Commitments from state leaders and national cabinet?
Look, it will just be an update tomorrow. We'll meet, we're going to meet regularly during this period as well. It's important that states and territories be informed and it's important that we work together as a nation at what is a very difficult and challenging time for the entire world.
Just wait one second. I call that the grain look pause but here we might call it the Kingsford Smith pause today.
Would you like to see a bigger return to Australians for non-contracted gas and new projects?
Oh look, we will have a budget on May 12th. People will see that my concentration at the moment, my focus is on what we're doing here today which is all about security of fuel supply. Hang on, one at a time. He hasn't had a go. He was late, but we'll give him a go.
Prime Minister, Jim Chalmers said earlier this week that the NDIS would be a key part of the government's budget savings. Wouldn't you commit to reinvest those savings into other social services and health programs?
I see the NDIS not as a fiscal position. The important thing is that it deliver what it was intended to do, looking after people, Australians with disabilities, making sure they can fully participate in society. Now, the growth rate when we were elected to office was 22%. That quite clearly, 22% growth annual is unsustainable for any program. And what's important is that it be made sustainable because it's too important to be undermined in terms of confidence in the scheme. And a range of the reports which have been out there show that there has been some abuse of the system. What we want to do though is to make sure that Australians with disability who the NDIS was aimed at continue to receive really important support so that they can fully participate in society.
