Anger rises in line with petrol prices in regional Queensland
Suellen Hinde - Queensland Editor |
Fuel in the small town of Weipa on the west coast of Cape York rose astronomically in the space of four days last week, resulting in abuse being hurled at staff at the two local petrol stations.
A manager at Weipa service station told The Queenslander that staff are “copping it” as prices for diesel and petrol jumped as much as 42 cents in the space of four days last week.
The price of diesel tipped $2.50 a litre last weekend.
Both petrol and diesel are delivered to the remote area by fuel tanker once a month and stored at the bulk terminal. It is then delivered to local fuel stations. Within four days the cost of diesel – the major fuel used in the region – rose by 42 cents per litre.
The rampant price rises have been put down to global oil price spikes by fuel suppliers. The Queenslander has confirmed the same fuel sold at different prices is all from a single shipment to Weipa.
On Tuesday March 8, diesel was selling for $2.09 per litre but by Saturday it was selling at $2.51. While on Tuesday March 8 petrol was selling at $2.22 and by Saturday it was $2.47.
“We get the fuel from the bulk terminal at Weipa,” Weipa Service Station manager Madison said. “We pay what the invoice says to pay”.
“Unfortunately, we are the faces people see and we have been copping a fair bit of abuse.”
Viva Energy (the company which distributes the fuel to Weipa) confirmed it is shipped to the remote town 12 times a year.
A Viva Energy Australia spokesman pointed out they “do not set the retail price”. However they do sell the petrol to the service station.
ACAPMA (Australian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association) CEO Mark McKenzie said they are seeing service station attendants being abused throughout Queensland.
“But people need to remember 86 per cent of the cost of petrol is set before it gets to the pump and 14 per cent goes to the service station for wages, rent and other costs,” Mr McKenzie said.
“On average a servo is making $1.50 profit on 50 litres. Much of the value is sucked up before it gets to the pump through manufacturing and wholesale costs.
“People need to realise that service station operators are people in their local community and they need to be treated with respect.”
Weipa Mayor Michael Rowland said no one could explain to him why the fuel goes up and up.
“No-one can articulate these price increases to me it goes up rapidly and slowly trickles down. There is no other product that fluctuates more,” he said.
“If you ever think there is a time to have a conversation about fuel production it is now. Why are we not getting out of fossil fuels and getting into biofuels?”
The Mayor said he was concerned for the upcoming tourism season if prices stayed this high – “it’s a long drive up the Cape and there is no way people can drive from Weipa to Cairns in an electric car”.
An ACCC spokesman said the role of the competition and consumer commission was to monitor prices and they had no power in relation to setting prices.
“Retail petrol prices in Australia are largely determined by international refined petrol prices and the Australian/US dollar exchange rate. As refined petrol is made from crude oil, movements in the global crude oil price drive the international price of refined petrol.”
