Australians nationwide face mounting pressure from skyrocketing fuel prices linked to the Iran war. Residents in regional areas and major cities are slashing unnecessary trips, altering business operations, and reshaping daily routines to cope with the rising costs.
Perth, Western Australia
Hospitality worker Madison Young in Perth’s northern suburbs closely monitors every expense. For her daughter’s recent birthday, she trimmed the celebrations to fit the budget. The family piled into one car for the outing to save fuel. Young now combines errands into single trips and avoids scattered drives. Late-night shifts make public transport impractical and unsafe, forcing her to drive despite the burden. “I have to work more to afford this cost of living crisis, basically, and if I don’t have fuel, I can’t go to work,” she explains.
Western Sydney, New South Wales
Electronic technician Al Owaimirin commutes 45 minutes from Sydney’s inner west to Blacktown. A recent home renovation loan adds to his worries amid potential Middle East escalation. Last week, he filled only three-quarters of his four-wheel drive’s diesel tank due to high prices. “You don’t know what’s going to happen next, whether things will escalate,” he says. “The government should be doing more.”
Enrolled nurse Amalie Keung in Seven Hills juggles after-school activities like swimming and netball for her nine-year-old daughter. Cross-suburb drives strain her finances. “You have to limit what you can do. Maybe we won’t go on holidays this year, or will do less on the weekends, or use public transport a bit more,” she notes. “It’s unnerving.”
Cairns, Queensland
Innisfail farm owner Ricky Lee sells produce at Rusty’s Market in Cairns. After 30 years in business, he calls current fuel costs “beyond comprehension—way, way too high.” He resists passing expenses to customers but anticipates cutbacks or price hikes. To trim costs, his family shifts to manual labor over machinery. “As a small farmer, we’re trying to reduce the amount of machinery and just use more manual labour. That’s the only way we could cut costs, and it’s a lot more hard work, but you’ve got to do it,” Lee states.
Burnie, Tasmania
Mechanic Craig McLaren in Tasmania’s north-west sees fewer customers since prices rose. “We’re normally pretty busy, but that week, we had hardly anything at all,” he reports. Lost revenue threatens bills, prompting price increases on parts to offset delivery fees. Business has rebounded slightly.
Darwin, Northern Territory
Public servant Frank Bentes deems Top End fuel prices “ridiculous,” spending $80 for a quarter tank and $400–$500 over three weeks. Shopping trips demand caution, with meat now a luxury. Retiree Steve Walker filled his 130-litre tank near $2 per litre but finds ongoing hikes challenging on fixed income. “It restricts your movements a bit,” he says. “If you want to go somewhere, fishing or somewhere like that, it’s a bit of an impost. It was $3.30 a litre today, crazy.”
Brisbane, Queensland
Flower shop manager Joyita Upchurch raised delivery fees by $5 after absorbing costs. “Not a massive increase, but it’s enough just so we can keep getting our beautiful flowers out there,” she says. Rising expenses shrink budgets across the board. She advocates fuel subsidies for struggling small businesses.
Geelong, Victoria
Truck driver Simon Brebner delivers goods to petrol stations southwest of Melbourne. His personal fuel bill jumped from $60 to over $100 per tank. He skips unnecessary drives and walks more. “The current fuel situation was pathetic,” he asserts, urging government aid. “They should prioritise fuel… get it into small country towns where they’re obviously hurting. Without diesel, trucks stop.”
Port Pirie, South Australia
Share farmer Trevor Edwards at Mambray Creek halved his 120-km round trips to Port Pirie from weekly to fortnightly. Essential visits bundle fuel needs for weed spray and crop motors. Neighbors burn 500 litres in 10 hours of seeding. “That’s a big cost on top of everything,” he says. “Lots of farmers will be scratching their heads.”
Stanthorpe, Queensland
Fourth-generation farmer Connie Taylor on the Southern Downs grows leafy greens freighted to Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Fuel tops unmanageable costs at over $6,000 daily for freight. “The fuel’s been our most ridiculously impossible thing to manage,” she says. They consider local sales to Brisbane using own transport.
