WA Residents Slammed for Reselling Petrol on Social Media as Fuel Prices Soar
As petrol panic continues to grip the nation, some Western Australian residents have taken to social media in an attempt to profit off the situation, sparking widespread outrage and condemnation from the community.
Global Crisis Triggers Local Panic
The war in the Middle East has resulted in ships being suspended from travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route responsible for the transport of one-fifth of the global fuel supply. While Australian officials have stressed there are no supply disruptions affecting the nation thus far, an increase in panic buyers stocking up has led to local shortages and the implementation of petrol limits in various areas.
Social Media Firestorm Over Inflated Prices
One Perth resident’s attempt to capitalise on the increased panic by selling two jerry cans of fuel quickly became the centre of a social media firestorm. The Facebook listing, understood to have been shared in Perth’s north, offered two jerry cans filled with 20 litres of petrol for a jaw-dropping price of $450 each. The containers were said to be storing 95 premium fuel according to the description of the Marketplace ad.
A screenshot of the listing was shared to social media platform Reddit on Wednesday afternoon, spurring hundreds of comments from upset Sandgropers. The man’s Facebook antics were quickly branded as “absolutely diabolical”, “real scummy”, and “just plain unAustralian”. “What kind of person do you have to be to do something like this?!” one commenter queried.
Price Inflation and Regional Impact
Fuel prices across Perth on Thursday averaged between 225.9c and 249.5c per litre, meaning the Facebook listing’s price was inflated more than 800 per cent. Some gave the original seller the benefit of the doubt, stating the ad was likely a joke targeting Perth’s panic over depleting fuel. However, it’s not just city slickers hoping to profit off the supply crisis.
Eagle-eyed residents were quick to share a screenshot of another WA punter trying to cash in on the high demand. A Great Southern man shared a listing for a jerry can with 12 litres of diesel inside, also listed for $450. The location of the listing was in Kojonup, a regional town 150km north-west of Albany. The town, which is home to 2000 residents, only has two petrol stations.
Broader Consequences and Community Response
It comes just two days after reports highlighted the impact the fuel crisis has had on regional WA towns. The Wheatbelt town of York limited petrol sales to 50 litres per transaction after a raft of panic buyers dwindled the small town’s fuel supply. Both posts have since been removed from the buy-and-sell platform, with the ads violating Meta guidelines prohibiting the sale of hazardous goods.
Perth radio personalities Xavier Ellis and Katie Lamb discussed the shocking listings on Thursday morning during 92.9 Triple M’s Breakfast with Xav and Katie. “Some people are seeing this as an opportunity because it was spotted on Facebook Marketplace last night, somebody was selling two jerry cans filled with fuel for $450 each,” Lamb incredulously said. “That would annoy me,” Ellis chimed in. “Also, it’s trying times on people, so (the listing is) just ridiculous,” Lamb stressed. “Facebook Marketplace is a crazy thing,” the pair concluded.
Surge in Related Listings
It’s not just petrol posts flooding the second-hand forum, however. With panic buyers clearing the shelves of hardware stores like Bunnings, posts selling empty jerry cans have surged. Price points for the empty containers are much more reasonable for desperate drivers, with the listings ranging from $10 to $50 per can.
Bunnings has told Australian media outlets they will be restocking empty shelves across the country through the next week as demand remains high. “We are seeing increased demand for fuel containers in our stores across the country,” a Bunnings spokesperson confirmed. “Our teams are working hard to ensure product is still available for our customers, with more coming to stores this week.”
