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🇦🇺 Australia /Economy & Trade

Australia's most remote communities losing essential services due to price of fuel

From ABC Australia · (7m ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Residents in remote Australian communities are facing extreme fuel prices, with diesel costing up to $4 per liter.
  • High fuel costs are preventing community members from participating in essential cultural events like funerals and sorry business, which often require long-distance travel.
  • The rising fuel prices are also impacting tourism and threatening the viability of vital ranger programs that provide employment for Indigenous people.

The escalating cost of fuel is crippling essential services and cultural practices in Australia's most remote communities. Residents like Rachel Samson in Roebourne are forced to walk to work, as filling a car tank now costs significantly more than $100. The price of diesel hovers around $3 per liter in Roebourne and skyrockets to $4 per liter in places like Pandanus Park Community, located further north.

If I don't have enough fuel for the car, I walk to work.

— Rachel SamsonRachel Samson, a Yindjibarndi woman living in Roebourne, illustrates the personal impact of high fuel prices on daily life.

These exorbitant prices are not just an inconvenience; they are severing vital connections to culture and community. Patricia Riley, chairperson of Pandanus Park Community, explains that people are missing funerals and significant cultural events because the cost of travel is prohibitive. "If there was sorry business in Onslow, I wouldn't take my car — I don't think it would make it that far," Samson stated, highlighting the immense distances involved. This situation directly impacts the ability of Indigenous Australians to practice their cultural obligations, which are often deeply tied to travel and community gatherings.

If there was sorry business in Onslow, I wouldn't take my car — I don't think it would make it that far.

— Rachel SamsonSamson explains how fuel costs prevent her from attending important cultural events due to the long distances involved.

Beyond cultural impacts, the economic repercussions are severe. The cost of transporting goods, such as a recent food delivery to Kunawarritji, has surged by an additional $5,000 due to fuel price hikes. This increased cost is passed on to consumers, making essential items more expensive. Furthermore, the reduction in tourism along routes like the Canning Stock Route means less income for community stores. The ripple effect extends to employment, with organizations like Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) warning that rising fuel costs threaten the viability of ranger programs, which are crucial for employing hundreds of Martu people. Losing these programs means a significant drop in employment and income for these communities.

It affected us a lot, especially as a remote mob, because a lot of us still practice our culture. We don't have the dollars to fill our car up with a full tank to go to another community and then come back.

— Patricia RileyPatricia Riley, chairperson of Pandanus Park Community, describes the broader impact of fuel prices on cultural practices and community engagement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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