Fuel Prices in Queensland and How it Impacts Transport
Australia-wide it’s no surprise that fuel prices have risen more and more each year. There was a time where you could get fuel for 60 cents a litre. Now we count our blessings when the price is around 130 cents a litre.
Here in Queensland, fuel prices have more or less consistently averaged out to around a 150 cents per litre bracket. This is in regards to the most frequently used fuel type of unleaded. To give you an idea of just how prices have increased, here’s the average fuel prices throughout the years for the Brisbane metro area.
- January, 1999 – 58.6 cents
- January, 2000 – 68.7 cents
- January, 2005 – 86.8 cents
- January, 2010 – 127.6 cents
- January, 2012 – 144.7 cents
In March 2012, the average cost was 150.6 cents per litre for fuel. So since January 1999, fuel costs have increased by around 92 cents a litre in the Brisbane metro area. As of March 2012, the town reported with the lowest average in Queensland was Toowoomba at 144.5 cents per litre, which is still only 6 cents cheaper.
On the other side of the coin, Weipa is the most expensive. Statistics for March weren’t available, but Weipa showed an average price of 174.9 centre per litre for February – 24.3 cents a litre dearer than Brisbane’s March pricing. And as can be assessed from the trends of other towns and cities, it’s most likely that the March price would either be equal to or more than the February cost.
How this impacts transport
Families and businesses are severely suffering from the costs that are being placed on them to account for the expenditure of fuel. But we no longer live in a state where public transport is that much of a better option. Public transport costs have seemingly doubled over the past few years and don’t represent the savings they used to.
As a result, families and businesses are having to cut back in other ways. Families are having to sacrifice the occasional luxuries just to stay on top of their bills and fuel cost. Small businesses are facing similar predicaments with trying to finance their companies to account for these ever-growing transport costs. And, of course, logistics companies are affected.
People need a reprieve. Hopefully Campbell Newman can follow through on some of his promises as premier and take determined steps to reducing the cost of living in other areas, because the price at the petrol bowser seems to be unchangeable.
What do you think of how prices have increased so substantially over the years? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Statistics source: Australian Automobile Association
Image source: Anusorn P nachol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net