Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie spoke with AANT Senior Operations Manager Edon Bell about rising petrol prices in the Northern Territory

Transcript

Katie spoke with AANT Senior Operations Manager Edon Bell about rising petrol prices in the Northern Territory · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now, over the last few weeks, I think you'd have
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: to say, well, at least the last few weeks, it'd
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: be safe to say we've been noticing some steep increases
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: when it comes to petrol prices, even when you look
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: at the bowser so sorry, when you look at the
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: terminal gate price so for Darwin as of yesterday it's
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: not been updated for today, but at the terminal gate
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: today it's sitting at a dollar sixty one point eight.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: When you go across to the bowser, well, it is
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: on average about a dollar sixty nine. When you go
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: a bit further out though, those prices rise up to
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: about a dollar ninety in some locations.
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: This is for your unleaded petrol.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: There's no doubt we're seeing an increase, but what exactly
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: is causing it. Well, joining us on the line to
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: tell us a little bit more about the situation is
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the senior operations manager with the aant Eden Bell. Good
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: morning to you, Eden, Good morning Eden, thanks so much
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: for your time. I know that those prices they seem
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: as though they're really high at the terminal gate right
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: around Australia at the moment. I mean, as you'd expect
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: they're fairly high at the bowser as well.
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: What's caused the rise?
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: Look, I think there are some global influences that unfortunately
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: territories and anyone else in the stays that matter, has
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: little control. So unfortunately we have seen the mutwill pressure.
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: Those prices have been right and steadily over several weeks now,
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: you know, a couple of weeks back, there's a lot
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: of talk in respective the prices going even further, but no,
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: I caution talk enough prices. I think the primary focus
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: for us as well. We can't control the uttle pressure
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: in the ternal tap prices because that's influent playing. There's
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: international market. We're very Kingdom ensure that there is a
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: regional gap that exists between that whole style pith and
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: what people are paying at the bowser in the most
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: parts most court. The last year we've been sitting in
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: a very good position in the greatest at least, and
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: that we've maintained that under content, which is you know,
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: which is a very good position for down to the Eden.
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: We're just having a little bit of trouble hearing you there.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Your phone line seems to be quite low, but hopefully
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: hopefully we can hear you a bit better now. You
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: mentioned then that there is some of those you know,
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: some of those factors internationally that are coming into play.
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: What are they.
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: As I understand, I mean I can only expert in
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: the field, but I do understand there were some supplyeses.
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: I know there was other issues or other events like
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: weather events, major ones that occurred also in America, and
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: the supply I think primarily that will drive the price.
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: Now I know there was I think there was some
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: commitments that thieves or producers were going to release more
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: volume of oil. So at the moment, whilst there was
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: all talk of a couple of weeks ago that we
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: could see prices heading significantly further north from where we
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: are now, I think seeing where that price is that
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: even yet I thought there was probably a slight drop
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: in the in the international price. So let's singers crossed.
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: We are holding that line. I don't think we could
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: not go any further. For shoppers, that's about you know,
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: whilst there's not a huge amount of variations across our market,
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: we still suggest people take advantage of those discount offers
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: that are available to them shops for the best price
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: on the day. Our market is work pretty well given
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: that we have had that consistent margin from wholesales of retail.
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: But the challenge out in some of the more remote
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: rouges or smaller town areas in the NT that it's
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: a volume based concerned and unfortunately the margins there are
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: going to always be high and what we can achieve
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: the day.
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that was actually what I was going to ask
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: ask you, is you know, out in those regional areas
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: or some of those well some of those other areas.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: Even when you go on the my fuel website and
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: I know it is a good way to keep an
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: eye on where it is you know, the fairest, but
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: some of those locations and I get that obviously, the
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: likes of Lorella Springs out there, you know via Bora Lula.
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: It's a long way away, but you're looking.
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: At three dollars a later out there, and in some
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: of those more remote areas, they must be really feeling
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: it at the moment.
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: Absolutely they would be. I mean, they'd be feeling it
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: every day of the week anyway, because, as I say,
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: the remote locality of some of those areas, unfortunately, there's
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: you know, there is zero competition. You've got one choice.
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: Typically the pio fuel and you know, you know they're
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: subject to that prices. Yeah, looking at the data, I
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: mean the myfield website. We've been a strong advocate for
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: that and support that fully because it does give everyone
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: visibility of where they can buy the cheapest price on
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: the day, and that visibility I think worked in favor
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: of territories more broadly, that there are going to be
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: you know, in a market that has little volume compared
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: to to other areas. Yeah, we're always going to be
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: subject to or we can't compare ourselves, I guess to
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: the likes of Sydney and others to be honest, I
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: mean talking to my interstate counterpart, they're having issues similar
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: to where then was that several years ago or Northern Territory,
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: and so it's good to see that we're actually holding
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: that margin i think in a realistic position, and you know,
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: I'd like to think that the industry is kind of
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: continue to support territories by doing so. Also, it comes
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: down to when the pricing and if we do see
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: a four in the in those wholesale prices, what we'd
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: like to ensure is that we're also seeing at the
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: price at the bounder of staff as to fall away
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: at the same time.
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: You're spot on.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you're spot on, and that's something that our listeners
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: raised with us very often. You know, it's very quick
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: to go up obviously when the terminal gate price goes up,
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: but when the terminal gate price comes down, it maybe
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: doesn't flow down as quickly at the bowser to territory.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: And so I suppose that's the concern here, isn't it
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: that when we do finally see some movement, making sure
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: it resonates for territorians.
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: For the last four months though, just tracking how that
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: wholesale price is given, that has been consistent to me.
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: That says that where there have been downward movements, that
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: the price that the bowser has moved in line. And
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: so I think, as I say more broadly, the puel
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: industry here in the Northern Territory has been doing their
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: part and keeping those keeping those margins at a realistic level.
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: And again it comes back to the individuals. I mean,
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: puel prices aren't legislated. It's up individuals to play their
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: part as well, and we always encourage to get on
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: and actively seek for that best price in the day everyone,
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: even if it was three or four cents cheaper and
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: you're utilized dur a discount card. If everyone did that,
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: we've been a very competitive market. At the end of
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: the day, we're talking approximate eight until leader above the
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: wholesale price. Something is currently working, and so you know,
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: I think we all to be mindful that whilst the
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: pricing is up, it's not due to local industry pushing
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: it up, but it is a international influence in which
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: we don't have a lot of control, and I can
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: hope that we're not going to see that going.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, Hey, can I ask you how come obviously
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: the diesel price at the moment at the terminal gate,
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: I mean it's cheaper than the unlettered it's a dollar
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: fifty two point nine today, and obviously the unlettered's quite
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: high at the terminal gate to dollar sixty one point eight.
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: How come there is such a difference between the two
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: at the moment.
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: Look, there are going to be influencing terms of volume.
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: What's more competitive. I don't have probably a level of
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: detail that can shed lights on what might be specifically
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: causing that, but yeah, you're right, looking at the wholesale
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: prices generally, what they're able to buy and on sell
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: is probably the first start. But yeah, it'll also come
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: down to market, local market influences and about buying. But
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: you look at the you know what's out on the
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: road at the moment. We've got a probably significant portion
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: of our carpals in in the diesel range, but a
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: lot of them, and there are also other commercial supplied
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: diesel that would assist in getting pricing down at a
• 8:41
  Speaker 3: wholesale level because the more volume. But I'll tell you what,
• 8:45
  Speaker 3: those of you that have taken up the electric vehicle,
• 8:48
  Speaker 3: they're probably ones today that they're all smiles.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: I reckon they would be.
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: Hey, Eden before I let you go, And I know
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: that you did touch on this, you'd said that there
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: were concerns that those prices were going to write further.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: But are we expecting the prices to get any higher
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: over the Christmas period or are we sort of hoping
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: at this point in time that they do stay pretty steady.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: Unfortunately, Katie, you know, I don't want to be a
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: betting man, and on a day like today, it's hard
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: to avoid it. But look again, I'm not a fan
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: of talking about price. I guess at the end of
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: the day, our primary focus is going to be the
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: international prices will ultimately influence if they rise. The best
• 9:29
  Speaker 3: we can do is just continue to ensure that at
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: the bowser we're getting a fair price in respect of
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: that gap. But look, I'm I'm not a future person
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: right now, I'm seeing it's relatively stable and so that's
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: a good indication and the hope that it maintains and
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: if supply internationally is being eased in terms of more
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: oil coming to the market, then hopefully, all fingers crossed,
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: we're not going to see the spike that we're previously
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: forecast and good news story for all territories.
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, let's hope.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: So Hey, Eden Bell, the AAENTT Senior operations manager, really
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: appreciate your time this morning.
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having a chat with me.
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: That's a pleasure.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: That is Eden Bell there, the.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: AA and T obviously the Automobile Association of the Northern
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: Territory And yeah, you know, we've been keeping an eye
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: on this for quite some time. I know that quite
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: a few of you have been in contact as well
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: about those prices, those petrol prices. But as we have
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: heard there and it's something that i've definitely noted when
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: checking out the terminal Gate price and also the Bowser
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: price most days that yeah, fortunately we aren't seeing big
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: markups at the Bowser and that is a good thing.
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: So a dollar sixty one point eight is what it
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: is today at the terminal Gate when you go across
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: to the Bowser. The fairest that you are going to
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: find it around Darwin today. So around Darwin for your
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: unlettered it is sitting at well, the fairest you're going
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: to find it is a fuel expressing. When el at
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: a dollar sixty seven point five, it then goes up
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: to a dollar sixty nine point five. That's at BP
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: when LA and BP coconut growth. When you go a
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: little further out, obviously those prices do change somewhat when
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: you head out towards Litchfield and look at those unlettered prices. Well,
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: the fairest that you're going to find at is at
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: a dollar sixty three point nine at Darwin River Supermarket,
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: and then at the United Holtz pie Face a dollar
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: sixty seven point nine, and then at the Independent Sam
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: Palms Roadhouse a dollar sixty eight. Tommy out there, but
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: all the way up to a dollar sixty nine point
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: nine
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: So there you go.