Farmers no longer facing diesel supply issues but prices remain high as petrol costs drop in Geraldton

Drivers in Geraldton have breathed a sigh of relief as fuel prices continue to drop, with diesel supply still at front of mind for farmers starting their seeding.

Since government measures were introduced at the start of April, motorists have been able to get their fuel cheaper, while diesel prices — relied on heavily by the agricultural industry — have been more stubborn, decreasing at a slower rate.

Trevor Whittington, CEO of the WA Farmers Association, said some pressure had been taken off farmers since panic buying had subsided.

A few weeks ago, farmers reported they were struggling to get their orders of diesel filled, with fears they would be unable to continue with seeding as planned.

Mr Whittington said that was no longer an issue after the Federal Government released 20 per cent of their fuel reserve at the end of last month, which made 762 million litres of additional diesel and petrol available to buyers.

“The biggest issue is still fertiliser. That’s focusing people’s minds, but people seem to have got enough confidence from their suppliers that they can get fuel, so it’s full steam ahead,” he said.

Mr Whittington said the State Government’s use of their emergency powers to demand answers from fuel suppliers about their supply chain had made a big difference in ensuring fuel and diesel had consistent supply to regional areas.

Cam Dumesny, CEO of Western Roads Federation, agreed the government measures had seen a decrease in prices and increase in supply, but said the issues with diesel were extremely unpredictable, as it was dependent on peace negotiations in the Middle East.

“I don’t think we’ve hit the peak of the problem yet. The fuel supply, the confidence we’re getting from the fuel suppliers is they’re pretty confident out till May. Sometime in early May, and beyond that, there’s not a lot of visibility,” he said.

Mr Dumesny said the issues around fuel supply and prices had drawn attention to how important the trucking industry was to a range of industries, including agriculture.

“We’re a fundamental enabler of the economy and as an industry sector broadly, it’s been neglected for decades, and we now are paying the price as a nation for that,” he said.

For the average motorist, there has been a significant drop in fuel prices and a slight decrease in diesel prices since the fuel excise was halved at the start of this month.

On Monday morning in Geraldton, both Petro Fuels and Walkaway General Store were out of diesel.

The average diesel price in Geraldton on Monday morning was $3.18 a litre, with the most affordable being Atlas Fuel at $3.09/l. The most expensive diesel in town was Moonyoonooka Store, who were charging $3.37/l.

This marks a slight decrease in diesel prices over the weekend, as the average diesel price in town on Friday was $3.22/l.

Atlas Fuel were also the cheapest ULP in Geraldton on Monday, charging $2.09/l. Caltex Tarcoola had the highest fuel price at $2.26/l, down 8¢ from their price on Friday.

The average fuel price in Geraldton was $2.19/l, continuing the downward trend of ULP prices. The average price on Friday was $2.23/l.