The escalating cost of petrol is placing immense pressure on motorists across Australia, forcing some to seek out additional employment or even utilise buy now, pay later services to simply keep their vehicles fuelled. This fuel crisis is hitting particularly hard in regional areas, where limited public transport options leave residents with few alternatives for travel. Consequently, many are making tough financial choices and devising creative strategies to afford the fuel they desperately need.
Kade Ryan, a resident of Macksville on the NSW Mid North Coast, has found himself relying on buy now, pay later platforms to cover essential expenses like fuel, ensuring there’s enough money left for groceries. “It’s just ridiculous,” Mr Ryan stated. “You’re having to use Afterpay and all that, to be able to buy fuel cards for service stations to be able to use fortnightly payments, rather than using our weekly wage.”
The Double Whammy: High Prices and Long Commutes
In the same regional NSW town, highway construction worker and single mother Jacqueline Glasgow is acutely aware of the relentless surge in petrol prices. Her daily commute to the Coffs Harbour Pacific Highway Bypass construction site covers a substantial 160 kilometres round trip. “It’s $60 every four days and I’ve got a tiny car,” Ms Glasgow explained. The financial strain has been so significant that she has been compelled to take on extra hours and a second job.
By securing an additional role in security at her primary workplace, Ms Glasgow has dramatically increased her weekly working hours from 30 to 50. “I don’t have a fail-safe or a fallback for anything, and I can’t afford not to work because I’ve got to pay for the petrol,” she added, highlighting the precariousness of her situation.
Budgets Already Stretched to Breaking Point
Dr. Amanda Craft, a financial planning lecturer at the University of Western Sydney, observes that commuters are being pushed to extreme measures as household budgets are already under considerable strain. “We’re already in a cost of living crisis and the average Australian will tell you their budget is already stretched thin,” Dr. Craft commented. “They don’t have the ability to rein in discretionary spending and say, I’m not going to go out to dinner this week, as they don’t have a lot more that they can cut.”
Unlike those in metropolitan areas who might have the option to switch to public transport, walk, or cycle, regional residents lack these alternatives. “You either have to decide to not accept a shift because it’s not worth the cost of the fuel to get there, or you have to take on more work,” Dr. Craft explained. She also noted that some individuals may be turning to buy now, pay later credit as a short-term strategy to secure fuel at the lowest possible price. “As a short-term measure, people want to bring forward the purchase, keep it to the lowest price possible,” she suggested.
Road Trips Cancelled and Holiday Plans Disrupted
The impact of fuel prices and potential shortages extends to leisure activities. Queensland caravanner Greg Deiderick expressed his deep frustration at being unable to visit his favourite inland destinations with friends, citing concerns about fuel availability away from the main coastal routes. Instead of embarking on his planned trip to the New South Wales Northern Tablelands and then returning inland to the Queensland coast, he opted for a coastal stay and a day trip to the nearby hinterland. “There’s just no fuel, that’s the trouble,” Mr Deiderick lamented. “Coastal areas have got petrol at a dear price, but the little places out where we were going have got nothing.”
Understanding the Supply Dynamics: Short-Term Shortages Expected
While fuel prices are likely to remain elevated for some time, Dr. Craft anticipates that supply issues will be resolved within weeks. “The supply issues will level out because there isn’t an actual supply shortage of diesel coming into the country,” she stated. She attributes the current shortages primarily to opportunistic stockpiling by diesel-dependent buyers and panic buying.
“Large agricultural and perhaps logistics producers are very price sensitive to diesel, and they’re primarily based in regional areas,” Dr. Craft explained. “Both of those groups are heavily incentivised to stock up at the lowest price possible, as they know they’re going to use that fuel in the near term.”
The rapid spread of information through social media and news reports about rising fuel prices and shortages can trigger a primal, survival-driven response. “The neurobiological systems in our brains, which are there for us to survive, make us feel that fuel, because it is so vital to our modern lives, has become like food and water,” Dr. Craft elaborated. “Panic buying usually only lasts a few days for each individual, but you see it in waves because it will move with the news cycle and what’s happening on social media.”
Dr. Craft is optimistic that the situation will gradually normalise as petrol stations replenish their supplies and as prices begin to stabilise. However, the immediate future for many Australian drivers remains a significant financial challenge.
