Labor calls for national fuel reserve

A national fuel reserve should be set up to ensure Australia has enough in case of emergency, Labor leader Bill Shorten says.

Speaking with reporters in Perth on Thursday, Mr Shorten pledged a Labor government would create an entity to build up national fuel reserves and ensure they don't fall below the international standard of 90 days' supply.

He cited the Department of Environment and Energy, which estimates Australia, a net energy importer, has 19 days of automotive gasoline supply, 23 days of jet fuel supply and 22 days of diesel supply.

Mr Shorten said Labor planned to start building "tank farms" to store the additional reserves in the next decade and also wanted to research alternative fuels.

Energy security was not a vote-winning topic but it was an important national security issue, he said.

"What is the point of having the world's best war-fighting technology if we can't actually fly or sail or be driven because we have no fuel?

"When you see the stresses from end to end in the world at the moment, there's never been a more important time to start addressing national fuel security."