Residents have taken to Facebook on numerous occasions to vent their anger, asking why some smaller neighbours such as Cobram, Rutherglen and Corowa as well as close regional centres Shepparton and Albury Wodonga continue to have up to 30 cents per litre cheaper fuel.
Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy, who has lobbied the Victorian Government for many years to step in and advocate for cheaper prices said the local pricing is driving locals out of town to surrounding regions, therefore disadvantaging other local businesses.
“The Yarrawonga fuel price duopoly is price gouging at best and collusion at worst (in Mr McCurdy’s opinion). I have reached out to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to seek assistance to no avail,” Mr McCurdy said.
“Petrol prices in Yarrawonga are still outrageously excessive and as a result, is driving locals out of town to do their shopping and other errands.
“I will be launching a petition in the coming weeks to seek a third fuel retailer to the town. The petition can be signed online, and we will send a clear message that this price fixing in Yarrawonga is unacceptable.
“We have all had to bear the increased cost caused by the war on Ukraine, however Yarrawonga is consistently 10-25% more expensive than other regional towns.
“I will be writing to the Prime Minister’s Office to ask for an explanation about how this has been allowed to happen, particularly in a fast-growing regional town like Yarrawonga.
In mid-2020 an online petition was started by despondent resident James Brogan which received around 2000 signatures and was unsuccessfully presented to the ACCC by Mr McCurdy.
Whilst still in Parliament, former Federal Member for Nicholls Damien Drum also met with residents before taking the issue to a higher level to no avail.
The increase in petrol prices also depends on the halving of the fuel excise — a 44 cents a litre tax on fuel which is due to expire on September 28.
It means prices will rise a further 22 cents a litre after September 29. For months the federal government has insisted the measure cannot continue beyond that date due to the significant cost to the budget.
The ACCC website states that movements in retail petrol prices in regional locations are largely driven by changes in international refined petrol prices and the AUD–USD exchange rate, just as they are in the five largest cities.
Petrol prices in regional Australia change more slowly than in the cities—both up and down—because retailers in many regional areas tend to have lower stock turnover than city sites.
The ACCC also stated that due to the limited number of retail sites in many regional locations the ACCC also pays particular attention to potential changes in ownership to ensure that a proposed acquisition of existing retail sites would not be likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition.
When the ACCC identify a particular concern about petrol prices in a regional area they:
•review recent price movements and the structure of the local market
•may seek information from local retailers to determine whether there is a need for further investigation.
“If we believe any retailers have broken competition and consumer laws, we will investigate the issue further and may take action,” ACCC said.
Moira Shire Mayor Libro Mustica said he was frustrated to see that the shire’s biggest and fastest growing town continues to have inflated petrol prices which drives residents outside of the shire to purchase their fuel.
“It is very disappointing to see the fuel prices in Yarrawonga being repeatedly higher than in other parts of Moira Shire as well as regionally,” Cr Mustica said.
“These inflated fuel prices have a flow on effect of hurting local businesses with people travelling out of Yarrawonga to do their shopping and then filling up with the substantially cheaper fuel while they are there.
“I know the ACCC has looked into these higher fuel prices in the past couple of years and the RACV regularly lists Yarrawonga as having the highest regional fuel price in the state.”
On Tuesday the cheapest unleaded in Yarrawonga was 169.9 at the United on the Murray Valley Highway with the most expensive being 178.9 at BP in Mulwala.
The cheapest diesel was 211.9 at the United with the BP in Mulwala with the most expensive diesel at 218.9.
In neighbouring towns, Cobram Woolworths Ampol had unleaded for 167.9 with diesel costing 199.9 at the BP Depot while Rutherglen Richards Service Station had unleaded for 162.9 and diesel for 195.9.
Closest regional centres Shepparton had unleaded for as little as 159.9 with diesel costing 205.9 while Wodonga had some of the cheapest fuel in the region with numerous petrol stations having unleaded for 153.9 while diesel was 196.9.
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