Mr McCurdy, who has rallied for fairer regional fuel prices for much of his 13-year political tenure, submitted and tabled a petition to the Victorian Parliament at the June 12, 2020 parliament sitting to no avail with prices growing substantially in the two and a half years following.
“This issue has been ongoing for a number of years, and yet the government seems to take no interest in investigating the price gouging that is occurring in Yarrawonga,” Mr McCurdy said.
“We aren’t calling for a new inquiry per se but I am still keen and pushing the government to take an interest in the issue and help Yarrawonga locals.
“A petition I did in 2020 gathered 135 signatures and called on the government to launch an inquiry into this issue, however, the government refused to support this.
“I continue to push the issue and ask the government about the price of fuel in Yarrawonga, but to no avail. The government has let the Yarrawonga community down.
“What we need is a third retailer to enter the market, and provide genuine competition on fuel pricing, which will keep more people local, and deliver positive outcomes for jobs and the local economy.”
Local residents and regular visitors to Yarrawonga Mulwala are well aware that fuel prices have been at least 10 cents per litre dearer than neighbouring counterparts for many years however fuel giant Ampol blamed the Russian conflict in Ukraine as the reason Yarrawonga has higher fuel costs.
“Fuel prices will vary from site to site depending on many factors including supply chain costs, site operating costs, volume throughput and local competitive prices.”
A Yarrawonga Chronicle employee who travelled to and from Melbourne last week noted the price difference with local prices being as much as 30 cents more expensive than service stations along the freeway and other Regional Victorian towns.
Numerous local residents have put up a fight against the price gouging over the years with Taxi’s owner Daryl Howard and resident James Brogan just two locals who have initiated petitions in the last decade.
Whilst still in Parliament, former Federal Member for Nicholls Damien Drum also met with residents before taking the issue to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) unsuccessfully.
In September 2022 the Yarrawonga Chronicle reported that 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.
On Monday the cheapest unleaded in Yarrawonga was 181.9 at the United on the Murray Valley Highway with the most expensive being 185.9 at Ampol.
The cheapest diesel was 205.9 at the United with the most expensive diesel at 218.9 at the Ampol.
Across the river in Mulwala the BP service station had unleaded for 189.9 and diesel for 219.9.
In neighbouring towns, Cobram Ampol had unleaded for 185.9 with diesel costing 199.9 while Rutherglen Richards Service Station had unleaded for 179 and diesel for 192.9.
Closest regional centres Shepparton had unleaded for as little as 175.9 with diesel costing 189.9 while Wodonga had some of the cheapest fuel in the region, with numerous petrol stations having unleaded for 177.9.
The APCO IGA in West Wodonga had the cheapest unleaded in the region for as little as 168.9 while diesel was 188.9.
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