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2 April - 9 April March 2026 ] Kiama Minnamurra Kiama Downs Jamberoo Gerringong Gerroa
THE E-BIKE BALANCING ACT
“PEOPLE ARE RIGHTLY ANXIOUS” Calls for urgent relief
Myah Garza
T
he Liberal Candidate for Kiama, Serena Copley, is not mincing her words when it comes to the fuel crisis. In an interview with The Bugle, she has called on the local Labor MP to urgently outline plans to manage fuel prices across the Kiama electorate, warning that households, farmers, and small businesses are being hit hard as prices continue to climb. “With credible reports showing more than 100 New South Wales sites without diesel and dozens out of fuel altogether, people are rightly anxious about whether they’ll be able to get to work, take kids to school, or keep their businesses operating,” Copley told The Bugle. She describes the impact on local families as immediate and personal: “People were planning to go to stay with family or friends, or take a short vacation as a break. But with the cost of petrol and the cost of living generally, now they’re considering cancelling those opportunities and staying
closer to home.” The escalating fuel prices are also affecting the region’s tourismdependent businesses. “Businesses that would provide meals, coffees, tourism experiences miss out on that business,” she says. “Small businesses that are already buckling under the pressure of doing business in New South Wales are getting doubly affected.” New Australian Securities and Investments Commission data shows 689 businesses in NSW entered liquidation between January 5 and March 1, with economists warning more small businesses will collapse. It’s a statistic that alarms Copley. “This crisis will tip more over the edge,” she says. “We need to do something to try and alleviate some of that rising cost and costof-living pain that we are all experiencing at the moment.” Meanwhile, farmers and transport operators are facing unprecedented costs. “Diesel isn’t optional – it’s how work gets done on-farm,” Copley says. She highlights, local transport
companies are facing additional expenses of up to $2,000 per truck per week due to fuel price surges: “That is not a cost they can absorb. It will be passed on to consumers, and our already pressured cost-ofliving crisis will just escalate.” She is urging the NSW Government to take practical steps to ease the burden during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Key measures being called for include a “24-hour fuel price cap” over the Easter long weekend and free public transport to support safe and affordable travel. The NSW Liberals and Nationals welcomed the Commonwealth’s decision to temporarily halve the fuel excise. The fuel excise cut will come into force from Wednesday 1 April, and run until 30 June. The excise is now set at 52.6 cents a litre, and will be cut to 26.3 cents. However, Copley believes more still needs to be done. “If there is an option of free public transport for Easter, it gives families an alternative to jumping in the car and filling up yet another tank of very expensive fuel,” she says.
She also expressed the need for timely and clear communication about fuel availability. “The FuelCheck app is available and can be updated in real time,” she says. “There is nothing more frustrating than driving to a petrol station, using up fuel, to then find that the petrol you’re looking for is not available.” She claims, her dedication to this issue stems from community concerns rather than political gains. “I’m not doing this as a career path,” she says. “It's our community that is important, and what’s happening locally to families and businesses is who we need to be defending and fighting for.” The Kiama electorate spans coastal and hinterland communities that rely on the Princes Highway and the South Coast rail corridor for commuting, freight, and tourism. “I'm scared for our community, because where does this stop?” she says. “It's in the state government's power to waive the cost of public transport over Easter – so why aren't they doing it?”
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