“Absolute circus”: Independent servos across eastern Melbourne are running dry on diesel

A week ago, independent retailer Fast Fuel - which has four petrol stations across the eastern suburbs - had to close all its diesel bowsers as supplies ran dry.

When the Eastern Melburnian spoke to Fast Fuel director Paul Andronicou on Friday March 20, he was desperately trying to secure more unleaded petrol for his Beaconsfield location before tanks ran out over the weekend.

❓ What’s happening? Twenty percent of the world’s oil has to pass from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman and then the Arabian Sea, before being shipped east into Asia and to other destinations.

• Limited supply and increasing demand has seen fuel prices rise, with the average price of unleaded petrol in Melbourne’s east currently at about $2.40 per litre and at about $2.80 per litre for diesel - if you can get it.

• The ACCC is investigating allegations of anti-competitive conduct by all of the major fuel suppliers – Ampol, BP, Mobil and Viva Energy – after receiving reports concerning the lack of diesel availability to independent wholesalers and distributors in regional and rural Australia.

🛑 Locals lose out: Andronicou said it was “devastating” to have to turn customers away, hike up prices and close two hours earlier every night to stay financially stable.

• 🗣️ “It feels terrible, because we’ve got a lot of money invested across the industry and people aren’t coming through the doors,” Andronicou said.

🤙 Playing phone tag: He said he was constantly calling oil companies to try to secure enough fuel supply to keep bowsers open across all four locations.

• 🗣️“You’ve just got to call and hope they ring you back,” Andronicou said. “It’s an absolute circus. It’s a bit like bailing water out of the Titanic.”

💪 Staying strong: Andronicou said Australia needed to make its fuel supply more resilient to mitigate against future shortages, and ensure independent service stations had fair access to available fuel.

• 🗣️ “[The government has] been well aware there’s an issue with this, but they haven’t done anything” said Andronicou.