Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

G'day Serg,

I agree with you.

I hate the high price of diesel as much as anybody.....but placing posts up about it does nothing to help.

If you can't afford the price of the fuel, leave the vehicle at home and just put-up with it.

Roachie

Kev & Darkie replied:

Serg,

We will just have to keep on, keeping on.

I don't see fuel getting any cheaper

Cheers Kev

Member - RFLundgren (WA) replied:

Serg

Have to agree as well. We can all complain and carry on about it, but it really wont change anything. We just have to play the game and but at the bottom of the price cycle whenever possible.

Lets face it life goes on and whether we like it or not we do adjust. I have just finished entering all of my fuel receipts into a spreadsheet for tax purposes and its frightening how the price has risen over the past 12 months.

Has it made a difference to when and where I drive? Not really. I still have to drive to work, we have done 2 long weekend trips and a couple of 10 day trips, and am still planning for a 5 - 6 week trip starting in July.

Grocery prices have risen, interest rates have risen, fuel prices have risen. Its a fact of life. I can remember buying a bag of hot chips for 10c and when it went to 15c there was an outrage about the price increase. On our recent trip around the Goldfields we paid $8.00 for a small box of chips, probably about the same as I used to get for 10c, but although we complained we still paid it. Bloody expensive potatoes at about $30.00 / kilo, but we didnt go without.

People generally wont go without fuel either. They still have to work etc. Yes public transport may be an option for some, but for other the car is a necessary evil for work purposes.

Anyway now I am ranting, but the point is, the prioce will rise and we will still pay it, some becase we have to and some becasue we dont want to give up the things we enjoy doing.

Member - Phil G (SA) replied:

Serg,
Like you I don't bother with those posts normally.

But the fuel price issue is very relevant to Exploroz as it is genuinely preventing people from travelling as much as they used to. And travel is what this site is all about.

Cheers
Phil

Best Off Road replied:

Serg,

You'll notice at the top of the page a tab for fuel prices.

Fuel is a very sensitive issue and affects a lot of people on this forum. Thus people will want to discuss.

Jim.

downtools replied:

I agree Serg,
So why did you start another one?
Cheers Nifty

brushmarx replied:

I agree that this forum probably needs a rest from the same repetitive posts, but the idea of letting blatant rorting and rip off's die off quietly is exactly what has happened for years in Australia, and is heavily relied upon by our elected and business leaders.
Until there is a readily accessible outlet for the public to show their anger at decisions that affect them financially or their lifestyle, I don't like the chances of these topics disappearing from the forum.
The press make lots of noise for a short time, and then public interest changes when the next newspaper shows a bit of T & A .
Good luck though.

Member - John G replied:

G'day Serg

I think the first point is that the structure of threads as they appear first up on screen gives you a pretty good indication as to whether they are likely to interest you or not. If not, walk on by.

Some of the thread discussion on fuel prices is informative and educative. e.g. about 3-4 weeks ago there was good technical info on the diesel production process; some pretty ordinary thinking on the part of the RACQ regarding diesel fuel prices was exposed;, and from that discussion I googled Bureau of Stats figures which showed that only 8% of passenger vehicle total fuel volume used per year is diesel - so yeah, I agree with you that we can't do anything about the price of diesel based on our standing as significant users.

But . . .as I understand it there is an excise (i.e. a tax) on fuel, and then we pay GST on top of that. The govt now wants to spend $$ on setting up a fuel watch system, with no hard evidence that that will result in a price drop, but it is silent on tackling a double tax. That is something we could do something about, if we wrote to our local member, or if lobby groups (e.g. NRMA, RACQ) wanted to do something constructive on behalf of their members.

At the end of the day though, I'd argue that the increasing price of fuel is a legitmate topic for a site such as exploroz, and the choice we all have is to skip those threads that don't interest us.

Cheers
John

Member - Mfewster(SA) replied:

I think the discussion is worth having on several grounds. Some good stuff does come out of it. Examples, the points raised in considering costs of depreciation versus fuel costs. ie, if we want to continue with our hobby, are we better to buy an old vehicle? If so, which one and why? Who better than this thread to discuss that? On one of the fuel threads someone posted information on a company called LNC. Very thought provoking and I have followed the progress of those shares with considerable interest since. Up another 5% today. Discussion of guvvament policy always interesting. If more people appreciated the reason for the fuel tax in the first place, both Parties wouldn't have squandered the windfall they got from this tax and we would have an alternative fuel policy, probably based on natural gas, in place. That is, the more public discussion, the better. The more understanding of what is going with fuel, the better. If it prods people to do more reserach and thinking of their own.........If we had more discussion 20-30 years ago, we might have taken more notice of the Greenies arguments then.

Member - Royce replied:

What does it matter? That's exactly what this forum is about. Discuss whatever we want... particularly about exploring oz!

Maybe we should put a ban on discussing 4X4 issues, because they dominate? Or maybe tyre sizes, or telling each other obout trips we have done recently.

If you don't like them, just don't open 'em...

Censorship is not nice.

I spent $480 on fuel last week touring from Gippsland to Mildura, Western Vic and back. I open every one of the fuel posts!

BTW.. what are you paying for diesel at the moment? I'm averaging $1.70.

Maybe by the end of the year we will hit the tipping point where they can start to economically make diesel out of our brown coal.

Cheers Royce

Member - Borgy.. (SA) replied:

Serg

I seem to remember something a couple of weeks ago where you told me if i didnt like something that was posted not to bother reading it...words to that affect anyway....so my advice to you is to take your own advice!!

Member - Borgy.. (SA) replied:

Serg

I seem to remember something a couple of weeks ago where you told me if i didnt like something that was posted not to bother reading it...words to that affect anyway....so my advice to you is to take your own advice!!

Member - Oldbaz. NSW. replied:

G'day Serg, While I understand where you are coming from, I cant agree with any form of censorship on forum subjects, unless
offensive etc. As stated you can bypass any post if you think it refers to fuel issues that dont interest you, but I cant give you any
right to edit what may interest me....oldbaz.

Member - Barnesy replied:

There are a lot of OT threads posted here about footy, or some other topic. I posted one last week after I proposed to my now future wife! The only relevance that has to exploring oz is....um well.....it has no relevance.

The price of fuel is directly relevant and if people want to post threads on it to help understand what's going on then I don't have a problem.

Rather than encouraging others to ignore these posts tell the author of the post to do an archive search instead.

Barnesy

The Landy replied:

Hang on Serg

I have a view; I’ve expressed it and reserve the right to defend that view, which I have. That others disagree is fine by me that is a forum (and democracy) at work.

However, are you suggesting we simply drop these topics because they are no longer of concern to you? Who are you to decide what others choose to discuss?

I’m not going into any debate about fuel prices here, but wherever the arguments are not rationale and based on inaccurate information I will put my 10 cents worth in. That remains my prerogative.

I have deliberately used the ‘blog section to express my views, in that way it doesnt pollute the forum as you have put it. You only read if you choose. If you disagree put forward your arguments. But dont become the thought policeman for the forum, for heavens sake!

Member - Roachie (SA) replied:

I think that what Serg is trying to get across, is that we can bleat all we like about fuel prices....but it's not going to change one damn thing.

Why don't we start a lot of extra posts about the high price of tyres, or spare parts, or accessories or labour (as in servicing costs) etc etc.? Why? Because we all know it'd be a waste of time.

I work on the basis of trying to work on the things which are within my circle of influence......there are a lot of things in the broader circle (what I call my circle of concern), but because I can't do anything about them, I just concentrate on changing the things I can.

If fuel prices went up to $5.00 a litre tomorrow, I would have to walk or push-bike to work and would not be able to go on more than about one trip in the Patrol each year. I would be concerned about it (of course), but would get nothing back from any energy I expended by bangin'-on about it like a stuck pig.

If you're REALLY serious about it AND you think the pollies have ANY chance of doing ANYTHING about it, why not get yourself elected to Federal Parliament and let's see what you can do. But I gotta tell ya now; you'd be wasting ya time.

The fact of the matter is that even our most powerful world leaders cannot do anything about how much the oil price is as it is determined by a bunch of tea-towel-headed gentlemen who drive around in gold Bentleys etc...... Kevin Dudd was gunna beat-up the world with a big stick when he was campaigning..... Interest Rates would be controled and so would grocery prices and fuel prices. Anybody who voted for him on the strength of those promises probably goes down to the bottom of the garden every night to have a chat with the fairies. It ain't gunna happen.......

Roachie

Cape York Connections replied:

Serg we wont talk about anything thats been done before
like.
Tyres
campervans
fridges
nissans
toyotas
Cape york
Simpson
The kimberly
Gps
Lap tops
Winches
Fuel prices
Oils
Rock crawler gears
Dif locks
Swags
Tents
Sleeping bags
Camping spots
Chemical toilets
Shovels
Axes


All the best
Eric

Member - Roger B (VIC) replied:

Just like any other world changing discussions round the camp fire.