Petrol prices are a subject that angers many people. And those of the Southern Highlands have more reason than most to be frustrated. This region is renowned for ranking among the highest in NSW for petrol prices. Of the 57 regular unleaded and diesel locations monitored by Bowser Buster, Moss Vale was, last week, the most expensive location for diesel at 172.2 cents per litre and came in 53rd for regular unleaded at 165.1 cents per litre.
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The Southern Highland News has followed petrol prices for many years and record highs are nothing new. In January 2013 we introduced a petrol watch chart, published each Monday, that listed prices at various petrol stations across the region. The chart included the cheapest fuel price in Sydney and the comparisons were disheartening for Highlanders, to say the least, with city bowsers often 10 cents/litre cheaper than the main players in our region such as Caltex, Shell and Mobil. Only the independent operators such as Robertson Service Centre and Karen's General Store, New Berrima, have tended to provide the region’s motorists with less expensive options.
Stories seeking answers to the reasoning behind higher costs at Highlands bowsers have attracted an almost robotic responses. Lower population and demand, higher costs for transport and storage of fuel, less demand for convenience sales which affected overall profits and ability to keep fuel prices lower and the location of outlets (proximity to highways and likelihood to attract a high number of customers) are among the explanations. Such excuses don’t resonate with discerning customers.
We are located an hour and a half from Sydney – closer than many other towns offering lower prices including Goulburn and the far South Coast; we are only minutes from the freeway – hardly likely to add significantly to transport costs and we have a population of more than 49,000 (as of June 2017) – surely that equates to plenty of demand. We are not privy to the cost of storage, but who hasn’t taken advantage of the convenience sales offered at a local petrol station?
The high price at Southern Highlands bowsers has previously been brought to the attention Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Despite pleas for an ACCC investigation we have been overlooked in favour of other towns such as Armidale where prices are often less than ours. Surely the time is now to give the Highlands petrol prices the attention they need. This community wants answers and we urge our local politicians to push for a study that provides more than lip service.
