Insane Petrol prices

[Marke (Mark)]

Originally Posted by mithrandir

Where Mark? Diesel cost me $1.56 the other day? Do they have fast-flow?

West Ryde indapendent and yes they have fast flow

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by peter_4059

Doug - there is no "control" on price. The wholesale fuel price in Australia is import parity price - ie if it is cheaper to import than to make it in Australia it will be imported. This means the consumer gets it at the lowest market price. The price is set by supply and demand in the region (ie south east Asia). The only "local" factors are the excise, GST and whatever margin the retailer can make. As Poita points out the retail margin is very small.

Here's a couple of articles that might be of interest if you believe the big oil companies are making a lot of money:

http://www.smh.com.au/business/futur...216-1oym3.html

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3189616.htm

http://www.exxonmobil.com/Australia-..._20090625.aspx

Originally Posted by peter_4059

Doug - I don't think Shell, Caltex or Mobil have any refining assets in China or India - correct me if I'm wrong.

Your articles say it all. Caltex just a retailer, the others can't compete with Asia so will shut up shop and buy from Asia. What does our governments do, absolutely nothing, just keep tax and excise at levels which make it unrealistic to produce in Australia.

Thanks for those Peter.

[jenchris (Jennifer)]

Keatings 'level playing field' made me more than a little angry.
He dropped import tariffs and all the other countries kept them - so you could import anything for nothing but nobody wold let you export anything.
And the federal slogan, 'don't upset other countries they might make it hard for us' is wasting our mining and land.
First thing to do is to make all land owned by foreign nationals leasehold with a huge tax or rates. All mining is to be taxed at high levels to stop stripping of our assets.
Save our Fracking gas til it is worth something.

[Paul Haese]

Wanna drop petrol prices in a week?

Those of you that drive into a capital city from the suburbs every day of the working week do this. Catch the god damn public transport, you're all clogging up the roads. Even in Adelaide tradesman cannot get around because of all the knobs driving their barge arse four wheel drives that have never seen off road that chew petrol like a tobacco chewer on nitro, not to mention the nitwits drivin their V8's and everyone of them just sitting in a line up for an hour or two. Is everyone brain dead now?

Everytime I have to go out to a building site in the mornings at 730am the roads are clogged with idiots driving a car with one person in it and heading to the same location every sinle day. Public transport heads mostly to the one place everyday. If you use it they have to increase the services, it is cheaper than driving (don't forget the wear and tear on your car is a cost too) and you get some exercise when you get to the central hub.

That is why petrol prices are so high. Stop using the petrol and the price will drop in a week and even further in a month. It is simple supply and demand.

[Marke (Mark)]

Hmm Paul a bit harsh , which would you prefer 1.5hr each way because you
dont have adaquate public transport or 25min in the car ? My time is too vauable to waste when working almost 6 days a week.

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by Marke

Hmm Paul a bit harsh , which would you prefer 1.5hr each way because you
dont have adaquate public transport or 25min in the car ? My time is too vauable to waste when working almost 6 days a week.

What's wrong with Castle Hill public transport. I use it all the time on my $2.50 ticket . Beats driving. My place to Central railway 60 mins off peak and 80 mins peak 617X

Barry

PS Why does just about everyone want to drive big SUV's when small cars do the job.

[Barrykgerdes]

Jennifer has the answer. but she has also missed out on another big problem the ease of making on line purchases from overseas. You may think you are getting somthing cheap but while we have a deficit if you don't pay immediately the interest compounds and in a few years you still owe twice the original cost.

Oh well who cares it is the grand children that will end up with the debt!

Electricity prices are a good indication of poor management. We had a system that ran at a profit feeding our money back into the country. We sold them off to O/S companies who borrowed money to buy them. They immediately had to put the prices up to service the debt before they could make any money that will be sent O/S anyway.

Another stupid govt decission a few years ago was to pay out the loan for the harbour bridge to make them look good politically. The loan was at a very low interest and the govt borrowed at a much higher rate to pay it off.

First rule of eccconomics don't sell a business that costs you nothing and runs at a profit.

Barry

[mithrandir (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

What's wrong with Castle Hill public transport. I use it all the time on my $2.50 ticket . Beats driving. My place to Central railway 60 mins off peak and 80 mins peak 617X

Providing all you want to take is yourself, can travel off-peak and you have a Senior's Card, it's fine. Once you have to take some gear it's not practical. It's only supposed to be "a few years" until I have a train station 300m from my front door, and I'll have a Senior's Card too.

PS Why does just about everyone want to drive big SUV's when small cars do the job.

So you suggest we all have a micro car for day to day and a SUV for when you want take stuff that won't fit in the car?

[GrampianStars (Rob)]

Originally Posted by KenGee

.....fuel prices or the cost of power, ..... In the end the answer in Australia is easy, move to the bush, dark skies, clean air and cheap housing

Yep I have 8 years ago pristine DARK sky, NOW council rates higher, housing costs the same, land is cheaper , power costs higher, fuel $1.65/Lt yesterday, food costs higher, wouldn't go back to the smokey though!!!

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by mithrandir

Providing all you want to take is yourself, can travel off-peak and you have a Senior's Card, it's fine. Once you have to take some gear it's not practical. It's only supposed to be "a few years" until I have a train station 300m from my front door, and I'll have a Senior's Card too.

So you suggest we all have a micro car for day to day and a SUV for when you want take stuff that won't fit in the car?

No do your costing/usage sums and just get rid of the SUV

Any gear I need to transport I can get in a small car, even my lightbridge 16" can be carried in my Fiesta. If its too big for thatI can get a carrier to move it. One of costs beat the depreciation and maintenance of a big car.

Incidentally I have a station wagon and trailer that I can use if necessary. Fully depreciated. maintenance, insurance and rego is the killer at about $2000 (50c/KM for the use it gets)

The 617X bus service is 300 metres from my door.The nearest railway station will be 2KMs. As an example I needed to pick up some gear from the QVB. I left home at 10:20, got to the QVB at 11:30 did my shopping caught the bus back at 11:57 and was home at 13:10. I can't beat that by car at any time. The best car/train time is 45mins (normally about 60 mins) to Artarmon train to city 20 mins (with waiting time)

Barry

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

No do your costing/usage sums and just get rid of the SUV

Let's see you car make it down my driveway in Cooma Barry.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by Barrykgerdes

No do your costing/usage sums and just get rid of the SUV

Any gear I need to transport I can get in a small car, even my lightbridge 16" can be carried in my Fiesta. If its too big for thatI can get a carrier to move it. One of costs beat the depreciation and maintenance of a big car.


Barry

Barry come on there is some who need a bigger vehicle for lifestyle or just to live. Try pulling my Caravan with your Fiesta. 2.5T of van behind the Fiesta would be illegal before you start.
The Fiesta wouldn't pull the skin off a sausage let alone move the van.

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by Hagar

Barry come on there is some who need a bigger vehicle for lifestyle or just to live. Try pulling my Caravan with your Fiesta. 2.5T of van behind the Fiesta would be illegal before you start.
The Fiesta wouldn't pull the skin off a sausage let alone move the van.

I have a wagon that can pull my caravan but the caravan is parked long term at Wiruna.

I gave up caravaning in 1958 when I found out that I could have stayed in comfort in motels for less than the real cost of caravanning.

As for a lifestyle that requires those things and you can afford it go for it and don't worry about the cost of petrol.

I have done my share of travelling (at your expense like the pollies) so I have no wish to do any more unnecessarily. Even so I will be off to London for the Chelsea Flower show in May-June.


Barry

[Barrykgerdes]

Originally Posted by Omaroo

Let's see you car make it down my driveway in Cooma Barry.

I haven't seen your drive way but provided there is enough traction to get up it I am sure I could get down. I drove small cars many places where roads were just wishfull thinking in my younger days.

Barry

[Barrykgerdes]

nothing like a bit of controversy to add postings to a thread when you only have 18 more to get to 2000

Barry

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

This is a good article by Michael Pascoe that puts all the general winging nicely in perspective for all you cranky old men and women.

http://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowin...028-1mn00.html

So easy to cherry pick and complain about certain things but when the overall picture is analysed there are some glaring inconsistencies and plenty of ways an individual can off set any increases, just have to have the will, as Michael puts it "Our perception of reality is highly selective"

Mike

[Barrykgerdes]

Good one Mike.

I live very comfortably on my pension because I did not see anything in that story that I actually use money on. I run a good budget that has a great surplus every year. (except maybe telescope gear for Trevor to use)

I am doing some O/S travel this year and being a snob I won't be flying elcheapo ecconomy. My budget surplus will cover business class (even 1st if I decide to be an even bigger snob)

Staying in a $3000/ week serviced appartment in Chelsea (gratis ,The owner owes me a favour)

Barry

17 to go

[Deeno]

I'll let my neighbor know, across the road how well off and smug you guys are.

Getting a bit elderly now, she lost her husband a decade or more ago. Owning her own house and with a bit of a nest egg, she thought she would live out the rest of her days comfortably.

Well, the car went with the big jump (Charade) in fuel prices a couple of years ago and now relies on the dismal public transport system and the occasional lift.

I know with the last round of electricity price increases she is now turning off her hot water and is not using her oven. And we can expect more price rises in the near future.

She never complains and would never take a handout but, we keep an eye on her as her place is almost always dark. Hopefully she can afford to keep the place warm next winter.

If only we would look after our own......

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

This is a good article by Michael Pascoe that puts all the general winging nicely in perspective for all you cranky old men and women.

http://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowin...028-1mn00.html

So easy to cherry pick and complain about certain things but when the overall picture is analysed there are some glaring inconsistencies and plenty of ways an individual can off set any increases, just have to have the will, as Michael puts it "Our perception of reality is highly selective"

Mike

And you had the cheek to winge about Andrew Bolt. The first 3 paragraphs might meet our lifestyle but certainly don't equate much to mine.
Everything I have I have had to work for, no Government help what so ever,no pensions, no payments, no nothing but allas living in a reasonably remote area where everything cost more (Freight they tell us) we have to factor in more each and every time there is a fuel hike. I have put 2 girls through University without an handouts what so ever, both had to live away from home but no subsidy was available for that. Most city kids can at least live at home while attending University, Not so in the country.

What do you heat our house with Mike? I would assume Natural gas. What is your bill fror gas, about $200/2 months. If I use gas to heat my house it's at least 2 bottles a week at $120/bottle. If I use Electricity it's still about twice the price of gas.
Running your car, Fuel, again I assume has risen and fallen in your area but rarely sits above $1.50/ litre. For the last 12 months petrol/diesel prices have not been below $1.50 per litre.

General Groceries. We pay a premium to have tem available in our small town of 2500 people.

I live here because this is where I have employment not for the lifestyle. I would move tomorrw if I had other sutable employment and could afford it.

Micheal Pascoe is just another tosser writting articles to feed to the employer he has at the moment. Any real or implied truth is just mearly your thoughts as well. If his comments were directed at a political party you would view them somewhat differently, I'm sure.
My wage for the last 10 years has actually lost ground against the cost of living without factoring in the extra I pay to live and work in a semi remote area.

Mike it seems so easy to dredge up articles which sell your case but maybe to live them would put yourself and the likes of Pascoe back into some reality istead of the safe little dome you live in.


I'm done, getting angry, Time to quit.

[Hagar (Doug)]

Originally Posted by Deeno

I'll let my neighbor know, across the road how well off and smug you guys are.

Getting a bit elderly now, she lost her husband a decade or more ago. Owning her own house and with a bit of a nest egg, she thought she would live out the rest of her days comfortably.

Well, the car went with the big jump (Charade) in fuel prices a couple of years ago and now relies on the dismal public transport system and the occasional lift.

I know with the last round of electricity price increases she is now turning off her hot water and is not using her oven. And we can expect more price rises in the near future.

She never complains and would never take a handout but, we keep an eye on her as her place is almost always dark. Hopefully she can afford to keep the place warm next winter.

If only we would look after our own......

Deeno I couldn't agree more. I have a 94yo mother who lives next door who has come to the same realities. Thank God there are a few of us who can look after them, our governments seem hell bent looking after illegal imagrants and forget about our own elderly.
Well done Deeno.


Now I have finished.