South Australia has seen a sharp rise in the number of petrol station run-ins and the state’s top cop has said police will not investigate, leaving it up to petrol station owners to help prevent them.
“With the cost of living pressures people are struggling with and fuel costs rising significantly, we will see more outages in the coming weeks,” Commissioner Grant Stevens said in a statement reported by 7News.
According to reports, the number of car accidents in the state has increased by 36 percent – from 162 to 221 – in just a week amid rising fuel prices.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
Commissioner Stevens said that “the ball is in the fuel retailer’s court” and urged retailers to install prepaid gas pumps like those commonly used in the United States.
This typically requires you to swipe or insert a card and, again, you will only be charged for the amount of fuel delivered.
The commissioner reportedly said fuel thefts linked to more serious crimes would continue to be investigated, but “entirely avoidable” car thefts would become the responsibility of retailers.
“If the industry fails to act, I will make decisions that ensure police resources are prioritized where they need to be spent and not wasted on investigating or dealing with reports of crimes that do not need to take place,” Commissioner Stevens said in remarks reported by News.com.au.
“The analogy would be if you constantly leave your television on the porch outside your house and it keeps getting stolen. At some point we will tell you that we are no longer taking that report because you can prevent that from happening.
“I can’t force the fuel retail sector to take these steps, but I can control how the police deal with these crimes. This leads to us getting caught up in investigations that we shouldn’t have to do.”
It is not the first time the Commissioner has called for the introduction of prepaid petrol pumps, stating in July 2024 that their introduction could stop fuel thefts overnight, but that South Australia Police had unsuccessfully argued with petrol stations for this for over a decade.
However, the Motor Trade Association argues the commissioner’s comments could serve to encourage fuel thieves.
“We definitely don’t want this message to get out to people saying, ‘I can do this and get away with it because it’s not being investigated.’ That’s a problem,” said CEO Darrell Jacobs.
The rise in fuel prices is not due to a disruption in Australia’s supply, but rather due to increased domestic demand, at least partly due to panic buying. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has also warned fuel retailers about unexpectedly early price increases.
In Australia’s five largest cities, the consumer watchdog said daily average retail prices were 219.7 cents per liter on March 11, up 48.8 cpl since February 20. However, fuel prices have increased significantly since then and some gas stations have even run out of fuel.
Today the ACCC announced it has opened an enforcement investigation into allegations of anti-competitive conduct by Ampol Ltd, BP Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd and Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd.
This follows reports of diesel availability for independent wholesalers and dealers serving regional and rural areas in Australia.
“The ACCC is closely monitoring all fuel markets during this period and we have received reports of suspected anti-competitive behavior. We are therefore urgently investigating these matters,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a press release.
“It is not our usual practice to publicly announce investigations, but given the importance of the issue, the ACCC confirms this enforcement investigation. We are aware of the widespread concerns among consumers, businesses and farmers about fuel price and supply issues arising during the Middle East conflict.”
MORE: “Be a good Australian” and stop panic-buying fuel, the Prime Minister warns
MORE: Fuel rationing not yet planned for Australia – Deputy Prime Minister
MORE: What the $100 a barrel oil price really means for Australian petrol and diesel
MORE: The consumer watchdog is calling on Australian fuel retailers to explain their prices
MORE: Dirtier fuel is now allowed in Australia as prices rise at the pump
MORE: The Australian government will not cut fuel taxes despite rising prices
