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[20 March - 26 March 2026 ] Kiama Minnamurra Kiama Downs Jamberoo Gerringong
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Amy Molloy “It’s like Covid again,” said a petrol station attendant in the Kiama LGA when asked about rising fuel prices. In a scene reminiscent of toilet-paper panic-buying, drivers across Australia have been stockpiling petrol and diesel, some even advertising
it online at inflated prices. On Kiama Buy, Swap and Sell, “20-litre petrol containers” were listed with the note, “Stocking up? Petrol and diesel becoming unavailable.” “People have been shocked looking at the prices,” says Krish, who works at BP Kiama, after witnessing diesel rise from $2.40 to
$2.80 in just a few hours. He noted the surge has hit the farming community hardest, for whom diesel-fuelled machinery is essential. For drivers in Australia and beyond, the conflict in the Middle East is taking a measurable toll on fuel costs. According to the NSW Government’s FuelWatch website, average unleaded
prices in the state have jumped about 60 cents a litre in less than a month, from $1.63 on 17 February to $2.23 on 16 March. As of 16 March, Enhance Kiama on Collins Street offered the lowest E10 petrol at $2.20 a litre, followed by BP Kiama at $2.37. Local prices vary: $2.28 at 7-Eleven Shellharbour, $2.35 at
Shellharbour Berry, and $2.29 at Ampol Albion Park. Small businesses in Kiama and surrounding areas are feeling the pinch as fuel prices rise. Delivery companies, tradespeople, and local service providers are facing higher operating costs, which are sometimes passed on to customers. “Our deliveries are costing
significantly more,” says a Kiama small business owner. “We’re trying to absorb some of it, but it’s hard when prices change daily.” Energy Minister Chris Bowen has urged Australians not to panic-buy. On 13 March, the Albanese Government announced it Continued on page 2