1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,200
Speaker 1: We've been keeping a very close eye on the diesel

2
00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,600
Speaker 1: and unleaded prices, as you'll know, I just will take

3
00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,600
Speaker 1: you through very quickly at the terminal gate price in

4
00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:09,280
Speaker 1: Darwin today.

5
00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,520
Speaker 2: If you're unleaded, it's gone right down.

6
00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:15,120
Speaker 1: So we're talking a dollar fifty six point three is

7
00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,439
Speaker 1: what the terminal gate price is in Darwin today compared

8
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,560
Speaker 1: to Tuesday last week, when it was at a dollar

9
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,560
Speaker 1: ninety one. Now at the Bowser, the fairest you're going

10
00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,520
Speaker 1: to find it is a dollar eighty eight. In some

11
00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,680
Speaker 1: places it's still up there at two dollars, so we're

12
00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:35,479
Speaker 1: talking about just about a fifty cent disparity there. I mean,

13
00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:37,640
Speaker 1: it's a bit under, more like forty four cents, but

14
00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,440
Speaker 1: it's still a big, sort of a big gap. Now

15
00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,159
Speaker 1: joining me on the line right now is the Northern

16
00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:49,320
Speaker 1: Territory Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Sandy Otto. Good morning to you, Sandy.

17
00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:51,120
Speaker 3: Good morning Katie. How are you?

18
00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, really well, thank you so much for your time

19
00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,560
Speaker 1: this morning. Now, Sandy, I think these petrol prices are

20
00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,400
Speaker 1: just top of mind for everybody at the moment, and

21
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,840
Speaker 1: a lot of people really wondering, well, when are we

22
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,399
Speaker 1: going to see that EXCI sping passed down.

23
00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,039
Speaker 3: I think, like you quite rightly said, the terminal gate

24
00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,120
Speaker 3: price is one of the best ways to see what's

25
00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,360
Speaker 3: happening with the fuel. And as you know, like you

26
00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,400
Speaker 3: said last Tuesday, it was dollard ninety one and out

27
00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:22,920
Speaker 3: because dollar fifty six, that price isn't automatically taken down

28
00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:24,840
Speaker 3: at the service station. The service stations are going to

29
00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,280
Speaker 3: wait till they clear their tanks and then they buy

30
00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:29,920
Speaker 3: the cheaper fuel in. So once that happens, you start

31
00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:35,119
Speaker 3: to see the fuel prices start to drop. And I know, yes,

32
00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,959
Speaker 3: is it Friday, yep, you can really see a big difference.

33
00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,520
Speaker 3: I think there was twelve cents difference in pricing around town,

34
00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,039
Speaker 3: and Palmerston was even cheaper at that stage. So the

35
00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:47,560
Speaker 3: best thing to do is keep it. I am the

36
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,920
Speaker 3: terminal gate price, and once that starts to drop, you

37
00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,920
Speaker 3: know that incrementally the fuel stations around you know, Dale

38
00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,920
Speaker 3: and everywhere else, it's got to start dropping as well.

39
00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,680
Speaker 3: But it all depends on the fuel stage. If they've

40
00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,440
Speaker 3: got a hig volume of turnover, that price has going

41
00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,960
Speaker 3: to drop quicker. If you've got a service station that's

42
00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:06,600
Speaker 3: a bit out of the way, that price is going

43
00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:08,360
Speaker 3: to take longer before it drops and they have to

44
00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:09,200
Speaker 3: refill their takes.

45
00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,040
Speaker 1: That was going to be my next question, Sandy, because

46
00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,360
Speaker 1: I know that we've had some listeners in contact with us,

47
00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,040
Speaker 1: who are I've got to tell you, I rate thinking

48
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,440
Speaker 1: to themselves. You know, we've seen it go up and

49
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,000
Speaker 1: down at the terminal gate over the last few weeks,

50
00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,720
Speaker 1: but we really for a few weeks there didn't see

51
00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,720
Speaker 1: any movement then at the Bowser despite it sort of

52
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,200
Speaker 1: going down. I guess every time it goes up, we

53
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,120
Speaker 1: feel as though the price goes up for us when

54
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,400
Speaker 1: we're at the Bowser, but when we see a drop,

55
00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,440
Speaker 1: we don't tend to see it quite so quickly.

56
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,040
Speaker 3: No, And I think that's what a lot of people expect.

57
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,399
Speaker 3: They see the price start, you know, start to go down,

58
00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,160
Speaker 3: they hear it on the news, and they expect the

59
00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,560
Speaker 3: service stations to drop the price immediately, and that unfortunately

60
00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:49,240
Speaker 3: doesn't happen.

61
00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, and that's and I guess that's where people start

62
00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:55,800
Speaker 1: to feel incredibly frustrated.

63
00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:58,840
Speaker 2: Sandy, with the fuel excise.

64
00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,200
Speaker 1: So is the cut to the actual terminal gate, you

65
00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,760
Speaker 1: know price, or is it to the bowser price.

66
00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,480
Speaker 3: I think it's a terminal gate price, and I don't

67
00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,239
Speaker 3: know if that's some of the pricing that we've seen

68
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,840
Speaker 3: at the terminal gate and you know, consequently down through

69
00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,520
Speaker 3: the service stations. And I think the best thing to

70
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,000
Speaker 3: do is just keep a bit of an eye on it.

71
00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:21,680
Speaker 3: I know the h will see had been tasked to

72
00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,280
Speaker 3: keep an eye on the fuel pricing and monitoring that.

73
00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,440
Speaker 3: And I would encourage anyone that goes to service station

74
00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,560
Speaker 3: and says that they pass on the pricing and they

75
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,360
Speaker 3: don't think it is that could be considered misleading, and

76
00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,120
Speaker 3: I suggest those people talk to the hillc about that.

77
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,000
Speaker 3: But I do know that the hillc is keeping a

78
00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:39,200
Speaker 3: very very close eye on this.

79
00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, right, So when I suppose what will happen if

80
00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:48,520
Speaker 1: those retailers don't actually pass the prices down, that would be.

81
00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,120
Speaker 3: Matter for the hill Seed to keep an eye on.

82
00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:55,240
Speaker 3: And again, our Lord, the Churchmens your affairs, my fuel

83
00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:57,520
Speaker 3: anti at that's a really good way to make sure

84
00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,440
Speaker 3: that you buy the cheapest price around town. It's always

85
00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:02,840
Speaker 3: got the cheapest price at the top, therous went one

86
00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,760
Speaker 3: to the other bottom. Plan your trip and just make sure,

87
00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,360
Speaker 3: you know, continue to support those service stations that are

88
00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:09,720
Speaker 3: passing on the price comes.

89
00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,400
Speaker 1: We've got a message from one of our listeners this

90
00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,800
Speaker 1: morning saying or wondering if they if they have to

91
00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,200
Speaker 1: wait for the fuel to run down, then why do

92
00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,640
Speaker 1: the prices all go up around the same time.

93
00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,279
Speaker 3: It could be a case where they do a fuel run.

94
00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:29,039
Speaker 3: I can't really talk to that. It's I do know

95
00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,560
Speaker 3: that the price fluctuations do go according to the terminal

96
00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,719
Speaker 3: price gates. And again, all I can say is that

97
00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,880
Speaker 3: once those fuel tanks run down and they refill, that's

98
00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,160
Speaker 3: when the prices tend to change and they fluctuate a bit.

99
00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:44,840
Speaker 3: And I think the other thing to remember too that

100
00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,640
Speaker 3: it actually costs the service stations more. I'm not standing

101
00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,200
Speaker 3: up form, but what I'm saying is that fuel prices

102
00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,320
Speaker 3: go up and the delivery for the fuel goes up

103
00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,839
Speaker 3: as well, and that price goes through everything out growthries

104
00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,200
Speaker 3: and everything like that. So that's something to can in

105
00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:00,840
Speaker 3: mind as well.

106
00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,400
Speaker 1: So, Sandy, as the Commission of Full Consumer Affairs here

107
00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,400
Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory, is this something that you're keeping

108
00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:09,880
Speaker 1: quite a close eye on at the moment.

109
00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:12,480
Speaker 3: I'm giving a bit of an eye on it to

110
00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,719
Speaker 3: see how things are going up here, and I will

111
00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,640
Speaker 3: be in contact with the Hill see if I think

112
00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,320
Speaker 3: things are quite right up here. And I know as

113
00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:23,320
Speaker 3: well that darn is one of the places that they

114
00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,039
Speaker 3: report on each quarter as well.

115
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,480
Speaker 1: And do you know if there's going to be penalties

116
00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,440
Speaker 1: if we do end up finding that some fuel retailers

117
00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,119
Speaker 1: haven't done the right thing and haven't either we'll haven't

118
00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,320
Speaker 1: passed down at fuel excise in a timely manner.

119
00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,480
Speaker 2: Is there going to be penalties for them?

120
00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:41,520
Speaker 3: That would be a matter for the Ahribac.

121
00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, I will see what we can find out. But yeah, well,

122
00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,520
Speaker 1: I appreciate you having a chat with us this morning,

123
00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,400
Speaker 1: and good to know that you are certainly keeping a

124
00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:51,880
Speaker 1: bit of an eye on it as well, because I

125
00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,159
Speaker 1: think that a lot of Territorians are just sort of

126
00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,279
Speaker 1: wondering when we're going to see the prices go down

127
00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,120
Speaker 1: a bit. I know there's been a little bit of movement,

128
00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,479
Speaker 1: but certainly when you compare it to the terminal gate.

129
00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:02,880
Speaker 2: Price, and as you've said to us here, they've got

130
00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:03,279
Speaker 2: to wait.

131
00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:03,919
Speaker 1: For those tanks to.

132
00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:06,160
Speaker 2: Be used.

133
00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:08,800
Speaker 1: But a lot of people keeping a really close eye

134
00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:11,240
Speaker 1: on things right now and hoping that we see some

135
00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:13,760
Speaker 1: change because it really hits us all at the hip pocket.

136
00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:17,520
Speaker 3: It certainly does. And if you're thinking about filling up,

137
00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:19,800
Speaker 3: just try and wait as long as you possibly can,

138
00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,039
Speaker 3: and just keep an eye on that on that terminal

139
00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,200
Speaker 3: gate price, keep an eye on now my fuel antier,

140
00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,040
Speaker 3: and just hold off as long as you can, because

141
00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:28,840
Speaker 3: I think those prizes will continue to drop.

142
00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,400
Speaker 1: Sandi Otto, We always appreciate your time. Thank you very

143
00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,080
Speaker 1: much for having a chat with me this morning.

144
00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:36,200
Speaker 3: Thank you Katie, thank you