Hunter motorists are already paying the price for the raging conflict in the Middle East… and it’s only going to get worse at the bowsers.
As of Thursday 5 March, the outlay for a litre of unleaded petrol ranged from $1.76 (Swansea), $1.92 (Newcastle), $1.97 (Maitland) and, incredibly, $2.10 in Cessnock and Singleton.
Now, the NRMA has called on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to clamp down on inflated pricing, with some service stations charging $2.20 in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
It seems unfathomable that the major fuel retailers are pumping up costs just days after the battle broke out between the US, Israel and Iran.
And, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said the prices were completely “unjustifiable”.
“Yet again, the cycles in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and everywhere else have left families in those areas worse off,” he explained.
“Oil companies are using the Middle East crisis as an excuse to jack up margins.
“This must stop immediately.
“Australians are doing it tough with cost-of-living pressures and now is not the time to be ripping the community off – we urge the ACCC to act.”
Mr Khoury urged people to resist by seeking out those stations that continue to do the right thing.
“Using the My NRMA App anywhere in Australia ensures you are aware of the best price right now near your place or the cheapest options on the way to where you’re going,” he said.
Hunter MP Dan Repacholi has also written to the ACCC.
“Like many across the region, I’m watching what’s happening with petrol prices very closely,” he said.
“Global tensions in the Middle East have pushed oil costs up and, while about 20% of the world’s oil moves through the Strait of Hormuz, changes in international markets usually take around two weeks to flow through to the bowser here in Australia.
“So, if prices start jumping overnight, that raises some serious questions.
“The recent spike in global oil prices must not be used as an excuse for grubby fuel companies to gouge Australians or jack up prices opportunistically.
“Families across the Hunter shouldn’t be treated like a cash machine.”
For more news stories:
- Broadmeadow offers fresh start for disengaged teens
- Car sales slow down but electric vehicles charge ahead
- Hunter Valley wineries targeted in multiple overnight break-ins
Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
