Australians nationwide grapple with soaring fuel prices sparked by the Iran war. Residents rethink trips, consolidate errands, and adapt businesses to endure the financial strain in cities and regional areas alike.
Perth, Western Australia
Hospitality worker Madison Young in Perth’s northern suburbs tracks every expense meticulously. For her daughter’s recent birthday, she trimmed the wishlist to match their budget. The family piled into one car for the outing, avoiding multiple vehicles to conserve fuel.
Ms. Young bundles errands into single outings, as late-night shifts make public transport impractical or unsafe. “I have to work more to afford this cost of living crisis, basically, and if I don’t have fuel, I can’t go to work,” she stated.
Western Sydney, New South Wales
Electronic technician Al Owaimirin commutes 45 minutes from Sydney’s inner west to Blacktown. With three children and a recent home renovation loan, he fears budget overruns amid escalating Middle East tensions. “You don’t know what’s going to happen next, whether things will escalate,” he said.
Mr. Owaimirin topped up only three-quarters of a tank in his four-wheel drive last week due to high diesel costs. “The government should be doing more,” he added.
Enrolled nurse Amalie Keung in Seven Hills juggles her nine-year-old daughter’s swimming and netball amid rising costs. “You have to limit what you can do. Maybe we won’t go on holidays this year, or will do less on the weekends, or use public transport a bit more,” she said. “It’s unnerving.”
Cairns, Queensland
Innisfail farm owner Ricky Lee, who runs a stall at Rusty’s Market in Cairns, faces unprecedented fuel expenses after 30 years in business. “This is beyond comprehension basically — way, way too high,” Mr. Lee said.
He absorbs costs for now but anticipates price hikes or cutbacks. His family shifts to manual labor over machinery. “As a small farmer, we’re trying to reduce the amount of machinery and just use more manual labour. That’s the only way we could cut costs, and it’s a lot more hard work, but you’ve got to do it,” he explained.
Burnie, Tasmania
Mechanic Craig McLaren in Tasmania’s north-west reports fewer customers since prices climbed. “We’re normally pretty busy, but that week, we had hardly anything at all,” he said. “Paying the bills this month is very hard at the moment, because we lost business.”
Business has rebounded slightly, but he raised prices on parts to offset delivery fees.
Darwin, Northern Territory
Public servant Frank Bentes calls Top End fuel prices “ridiculous,” spending $80 for a quarter tank and $400-$500 over three weeks. “Every time you go shopping is the same; you’ve got to be careful what you’re buying. Meat is a luxury at the moment,” he noted.
Retiree Steve Walker filled his 130-litre tank near $2 per litre but laments rises to $3.30. “It restricts your movements a bit,” he said. “If you want to go somewhere, fishing or somewhere like that, it’s a bit of an impost.”
Brisbane, Queensland
Flower shop manager Joyita Upchurch raised delivery fees by $5 after absorbing costs. “Not a massive increase, but it’s enough just so we can keep getting our beautiful flowers out there,” she said.
She seeks government fuel subsidies for small businesses and expects to weather the surge. “It’s a wave that we all have survived, I think, for now, and, yeah, we’ll just ride it out.”
Geelong, Victoria
Truck driver Simon Brebner delivers to petrol stations southwest of Melbourne. His tank costs jumped from $60 to over $100. He skips unnecessary drives and walks more. “The current fuel situation was pathetic,” he said, urging government aid. “They should prioritise fuel … get it into small country towns where they’re obviously hurting. Without diesel, trucks stop.”
Port Pirie, South Australia
Share farmer Trevor Edwards at Mambray Creek halved trips to Port Pirie from weekly to fortnightly. Neighbors burn 500 litres in 10 hours seeding. “That’s a big cost on top of everything,” he said. “Lots of farmers will be scratching their heads.”
Stanthorpe, Queensland
Fourth-generation farmer Connie Taylor on the Southern Downs produces leafy greens freighted interstate. Fuel costs top $6,000 daily, prompting local sales shifts. “The fuel’s been our most ridiculously impossible thing to manage,” Ms. Taylor said. “We’re just revisiting the fact that we might have to stock that for a while and just do our local produce, which goes to Brisbane, and we use our own transport.”
