Rising fuel costs affects half of all Aussies - survey

[SlickHolden]

Survey finds that most Australians drive less to combat increasing fuel prices

By NEIL McDONALD 20 March 2006


RESULTS from an international survey on fuel prices have confirmed the suspicions of many – Australians are changing driving habits because of rising oil prices.

In findings released recently, an ACNielson online consumer opinion survey conducted late last year has shown that rising fuel prices are at the forefront of drivers’ minds.

The poll surveyed more than 23,000 people in 42 countries and included more than 500 Australian participants.

With nine out of 10 Australian consumers having to maintain a vehicle, fuel prices were found to be of widespread concern.

Perhaps not surprisingly, as many as 84 per cent of Australians claim to have felt a hit to their hip pockets caused by escalating petrol prices, according to the ACNielson poll.

When asked whether the increases in fuel prices had affected them in anyway, more than half of the participants (57 per cent) said that they had been affected somewhat, and 27 per cent claimed to have been affected a lot.

In response to rising petrol prices, Australian households have been compelled to adjust their driving habits, with 61 per cent opting to use their vehicle less – the third-highest globally behind the United States and Canada, and the highest in the Asia-Pacific region.

More than half of the Australians surveyed (57 per cent) are trying harder to combine trips, and 29 per cent are cutting down on non-essential living expenses.

The director automotive for ACNielson Australia, Tina Katsinikas, said that not only did Australia have one of the highest percentages of car ownership in the world, any change in oil prices had a bigger impact here.

"It’s also a country of large distances, which means that as petrol prices fluctuate, the impact on our hip pocket is much more significant than in smaller countries where average driving distances are generally shorter, and this is evident in the survey findings," she said.

I think more now before sticking my foot down, But i still have my fun, But i got to be more careful as it cost me $80 for 68LT's and that gets me a min of 230km max of 300km. So maybe it's not so much the Fuel price for me it's the bad fuel consumption my car gets:D

[bmwpower]

wow, can't believe it has people change their lives that much..I live in Canada and we've seen the same increases, but my parents drive as if.."o well life goes on" and i live in an upper-middle class family, not a rich one. I get a car next year..i guess i should be aware of it's fuel consumption :rolleyes:

[Blue Supra]

i just pay it. i dont have a choice so i dont complain and move on, although i AM spending over $100 a week on fuel... i shelled out $1.39 for Optimax the other day :(

[whiteballz]

long distances? try 20 kilometers just for me to get to school! and thats the closest to my house!

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Petrol will always be expensive from now on; grin and bear it, essentially.

Until such time as a viable alternative arises (When the Petrol Companies have milked us dry, probably) it's all we have.

[fpv_gtho]

Around here people just wait for tuesdays, beginning of the week it can be anything up to 10c cheaper than thurs-fri

[SlickHolden]

I got a website that tell me when it's cheaper, So i always look at that and paid today only $1.17.
I today seen a VW Jetta:eek: Bigger then i expected it's big.
I wasn't worried today much about petrol got into a drag with a ??? Before the AU Fairlaine EL? Fairlaine V8... I was all over it like Paul Keating on the Queens back. until a silly guy was in my lane doing 40kp/h:mad: The big arse went past me with a real grin and a half:p
I also seen a Ferrari F??? 540 maybe? Was a little hard to see the number on it. But dam i wasn't over the op impressed by it at all, Big wide arse and so so low, But as he went off i was thinking is that all, Sounded great but.
I had a great day seeing cars that are just about here or not just right now, Also seen that big ugly new Lexus or Audi SUV Can't remember which it was:D

[Mr. Jinx]

haha, the Jetta is pretty sweet. The TDi makes a good argument against a Commodore/Falcon. Same-ish boot, more equipment and plenty of torque!

[SlickHolden]

Only problem is it looks like most of the overseas cars that are here, Hyundai Honda VW All there cars seem alike in some way.
But it's big and my first impression was i liked it.

[fpv_gtho]

it about $1.15 here today, tuesdays always the cheapest though, often $1.09

[Mr. Jinx]

Only problem is it looks like most of the overseas cars that are here, Hyundai Honda VW All there cars seem alike in some way.
But it's big and my first impression was i liked it.
Shame about the "pedestrian interior" if you don't cough up the extra $3K for leather. Everything inside turns grey without it :(

[SlickHolden]

I seen it on the ad last night and was shocked cause i didn't see the front of it, And must admit it's better from behind:p

[jimeegee]

So prices go up and people decide not to drive, interesting way to keep the road toll down :)

[RazaBlade]

it about $1.15 here today, tuesdays always the cheapest though, often $1.09

Bloody hell! Thats still about half of what us brits have to pay!! We're on about 92pish, which works out at $2.20 for you!!

[SlickHolden]

Bloody hell! Thats still about half of what us brits have to pay!! We're on about 92pish, which works out at $2.20 for you!!
Guess you guys wont be getting $3 to a pound lol:p

[Falcon500]

Well this is where i win my s12 gazelle can run off $50 a fortnight even when i was driving from woden back to queanbeyan every day :p and people say the ca20e is rubbish lol

And now that im unemployed im spending alot of time walking i havent even used up a little more then a 1/4 in 3 weeks

[IBrake4Rainbows]

It costs me $35/Week for half a Tank in Dad's Jeep.

I'm pestering them to get a smaller car but I think dad's having an Affair with that car - he loves it more than the 328i:O

[SlickHolden]

I hope to get got fuel soon as i finally got myself a Fuel Regulator on the way:D And a oxygen sensor if this fails:)

[fpv_gtho]

Well this is where i win my s12 gazelle can run off $50 a fortnight even when i was driving from woden back to queanbeyan every day :p and people say the ca20e is rubbish lol

And now that im unemployed im spending alot of time walking i havent even used up a little more then a 1/4 in 3 weeks

Well if it isnt my old mate..Whatve you been up to

[2ndclasscitizen]

Woden to Queanbeyan? Thats nothing. Try MacGregor to Fyshwick. Everyday. At 6 or 7 in the morning....Was costing me $35 a week, now with the Lancer, $35 lasts me about a week and a half

[nota]

MacGregor to Fyshlick? Thats nothing. Try Tarago to Yarralumla. Was costing us $45 p/w in my old M-B 280S LPG, now in the wife's 280SE petrol its about $115

[SlickHolden]

Try Hoppers crossing to St-albans on 2 trains and 3 buses:eek: @ 13:(
No wonder i hated School:p

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Try St. Kilda to Kings Cross (Paul Kelly Reference :p) It's 13 Hours on a bus :)

[SlickHolden]

He had to save money if he was going to king cross:D

[IBrake4Rainbows]

He was going to see a girl (his girl) so money not required...... :p

[SlickHolden]

Ahh freebies:D Then if i was him i would have got a plan to there faster:D

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Being BoJ has it's Perks, you see ;)

[SlickHolden]

Free plan rides:D

[2ndclasscitizen]

MacGregor to Fyshlick? Thats nothing. Try Tarago to Yarralumla. Was costing us $45 p/w in my old M-B 280S LPG, now in the wife's 280SE petrol its about $115
You live in Tarago? That's so far from anywhere it's not funny. A mate of mine lives out near there

[nota]

You live in Tarago? That's so far from anywhere it's not funny. A mate of mine lives out near there
We're on 3800 acres about 10 miles south of Tarago. Luckily we enjoy open-road driving as that's about 95% of our miles, no traffic jams out here :)

No town water. No garbage service. And no bloody neighbours! :cool:

[IBrake4Rainbows]

I don't think I could ever be so Isolated :(

But it's not such a bad place to be when Canberra gets attacked as the 51st State of the US.....:p

[nota]

My wife works not 200 metres from the US Embassy :mad:

I'm sure you know how big that complex is. Did you know every single brick in the US Embassy is fully imported?

Isolated is a state of mind imo. I can zip from here to Canberra in about the same time it takes to travel from Canberra south-to-north

[SlickHolden]

My wife works not 200 metres from the US Embassy :mad:

I'm sure you know how big that complex is. Did you know every single brick in the US Embassy is fully imported?

Now thats going over board hey:p
Tell you wife to pee on it for me:D
Do they also import there food? There jocks lol:p

[Volvoman]

I haven't paid less than $1.25 for a tank of petrol for about 18 months. My car has to run on premium because it is leaded(sad, but true) and even though I get about 500km to a tank, I do that in a week. I have started to run my car on regular unleaded, and boy, it is starting to sound pretty close to my parents diesel Hilux. I suppose a 2 tonne car really drinks the fuel.

[nota]

There jocks lol:p
We're supposedly the closest of allies and currently fighting alongside them in their stupid war. But since their last much-criticized Ambassador (Shieffer) left early they haven't even bothered to appoint a replacement. IIRC no US Ambassador to Oz since Sept 2004 :rolleyes:

[Spastik_Roach]

You think you aussies have it bad! Petrols about 1.45 over here (in australian dollars) for premium, and rising every damn week or so it would seem. Around 80 aussie dollars to fill up mums 2.0l Corona!

[Blue Supra]

dude... i paid $1.50 for premium not a day before stackin my car...

theres $80 of fuel in my car i cant use :(

[fpv_gtho]

No town water.

but do you get rain? :p

[Sauc3]

We're on 3800 acres about 10 miles south of Tarago. Luckily we enjoy open-road driving as that's about 95% of our miles, no traffic jams out here :)

No town water. No garbage service. And no bloody neighbours! :cool:
Could... Could I build a race-track on there? :D

[SlickHolden]

You think you aussies have it bad! Petrols about 1.45 over here (in australian dollars) for premium, and rising every damn week or so it would seem. Around 80 aussie dollars to fill up mums 2.0l Corona!
It was 1.45 for unleaded last week, But i just got $20 for $1.30 it's up and down at the moment. I would love to use premium even though i never felt it was better. But I'm paying to much with a car that eats it like a elephant eats food:p

[IBrake4Rainbows]

My wife works not 200 metres from the US Embassy :mad:

I'm sure you know how big that complex is. Did you know every single brick in the US Embassy is fully imported?

Isolated is a state of mind imo. I can zip from here to Canberra in about the same time it takes to travel from Canberra south-to-north

I Guess Isolated is a State of mind - I just like the idea of being able to drive myself to the hospital within 15 minutes if i had to.

My father works near Chicken-On-A-Stick, which IMHO is a US spy Device....

I love going on a Tour of the Embassies when I'm bored - I think the Finnish and Indian Consulate are my Faves.

And it's true Australia has no US ambassador ATM. But again - why does the 51st state need an ambassador? :p

[charged]

Filled the ski boat and the car at Morgan S.A the other day cost me $196:eek: , need to take out a second mortgage just for a ski and wakeboard these days, certainly not using the boat for just running up and down the river now

[2ndclasscitizen]

My father works near Chicken-On-A-Stick, which IMHO is a US spy Device....
I'm sorry, what? Chicken-On-A-Stick?

[IBrake4Rainbows]

http://www.neilmoreton.com/images/Canberra/us%20aus%20memorial.jpg

A US/Australian War Monument. There's an Eagle atop a pole.

[nota]

Could... Could I build a race-track on there? :D
Haha planning a bit of circle work are we?

Wakefield Park is pretty close by, has cheap track days. But there's already a racetrack of sorts; the driveway is 3km long (my PB is around 90km/h) but some of it is rough going - a 'rally proven' WRX would get scrape damage for sure, and you'd never get a Lotus or fancy supercar through the creek crossing :rolleyes:

A bit of race-trivia for Melbournians: This farm is the one that the famous racehorse Archer was walked from, all the way down to Flemington Racecourse (about 500 miles away) to win the first-ever Melbourne Cup

[2ndclasscitizen]

http://www.neilmoreton.com/images/Canberra/us%20aus%20memorial.jpg

A US/Australian War Monument. There's an Eagle atop a pole.
Right, I'm with you now. It's been there for like 50 years, if you find any old pictures, it was in the middle of a sheep paddock. What exactly would they be spying on, Defence public servants having a smoke instead of working?

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The buildings which surround it are quite secretive.

I have a feeling there's Camera's in the top of it looking through buildings :p

[nota]

I Guess Isolated is a State of mind - I just like the idea of being able to drive myself to the hospital within 15 minutes if i had to.
There's an attractive doctor nearby in Bungendore, but I suspect she's a lesbian. My previous MD in Canberra was an out-and-out poof .. what is it about doctors these days? :confused: .... (j/k)

My father works near Chicken-On-A-Stick, which IMHO is a US spy Device....
:D

An old rumour, one which has never gone away. But its a good one and I wouldn't be surprised either. Can't remember now but at one stage wasn't there a mysterious problem with radio or TV reception in the area? :eek:

I could tell a story about the Chinese Embassy, but not over the net. And you may remember that for many years ASIO rented the top floor of the funeral home that's directly opposite the Russian Embassy - you could see the shadowy figures lurking behind the window and sometimes even the glint from their binoculars as you drove by

I love going on a Tour of the Embassies when I'm bored - I think the Finnish and Indian Consulate are my Faves.
Yo're right it is a beautiful drive. Years ago for a bit of fun you'd put on the wrap-around sunglasses and try hard to 'act suspiciously' as you drove slowly by 'certain' Embassies. But alas no longer prudent in these Days of Trrr-rrrr-rrssmm (as GWB pronounces it)

And it's true Australia has no US ambassador ATM. But again - why does the 51st state need an ambassador? :p
RIP the honourable RFX Connor who nobly tried to 'buy back the farm' in the Whitlam era, a plan thwarted in part by our new best friends via CIA Task Force 154 :(

[IBrake4Rainbows]

It's all for our protection, though ;)

Just remember, Freedom isn't free,it costs a Buck o'Five :p

And I swear, if you look closely at the Monument, you see something moving inside......

My friend and I went to a party at the Filipino embassy in January (She's Filipino, so we were invited). It was so weird because we drove around afterwards and the Dutch embassy was also having a party. we drove by slowly to see what was happening and we just got these evil looks :(

too much amdudler methinks :p

[2ndclasscitizen]

The buildings which surround it are quite secretive.

I have a feeling there's Camera's in the top of it looking through buildings :p
My mum works for the DMO, and she said that in one of the buildings, can't remember which department it was, there's guys with cameras and telephoto lenses watching the grounds

[IBrake4Rainbows]

.....I hope she told someone about it :p

I remember being led into one of these buildings by my father as a child. They had a daycare there and during the school holidays my sister and I would be put in this room with a crappy Commodore 64 computer and an Alanis Morrisette CD. Good times :p

I highly doubt Kid's would be allowed in the building now....

[SlickHolden]

Alanis morrisette and a commodore 64:eek: She been around that long:p

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Only the Best for Defense Children :p

[SlickHolden]

The best:eek: alanis and comm64:eek::D

[Spastik_Roach]

Well I was gunna say I got well and truely owned in terms of Fuel price talks, but it appears you guys have gone gaga over a stone monument, a revolutionary computer, and a rubbish singer.

http://www.butterflycorp.com/NZ%20Pics/images/DSC00884.jpg

I HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS!

[Spastik_Roach]

Ha, whaddya know, thats my mates dads Peugeot in that pic!

[Blue Supra]

shhhh, the chicken hears all...

[SlickHolden]

Is it roasted:D

[IBrake4Rainbows]

It's like an owl - it's head rotates a ful 360 Degrees to capture panorama's and directional sound keeps it informed.

It's listening to me type this right now..........:p

Isn't their some program the US has created to check back Keystrokes or something, so that they can figure out what you've typed even if you delete all knowledge of it?

[SlickHolden]

Yes but the name is classified as it might full into the wrong fingers:D

[Matra et Alpine]

Used to be just the FBI/NSA who used it, now anyone can buy one .... http://www.keyghost.com/sx/

[Falcon500]

.....I hope she told someone about it :p

I remember being led into one of these buildings by my father as a child. They had a daycare there and during the school holidays my sister and I would be put in this room with a crappy Commodore 64 computer and an Alanis Morrisette CD. Good times :p

I highly doubt Kid's would be allowed in the building now....
You had cds?

Jesus and to think tapes where all the rage when i was a kid and cd players let alone cds where soooooooo expensive....that was magical time called the late 80s when a "portable" walkman couldent fit in your pocket!

But the embassys are cool and it gets better when they come out and play one time me and a few family members went to the Austrian club to have a few drinks and these blokes in suites rocked up....as it turns out they where pollitical figures from Austria and they got posativly shit faced with us....the only complaint i had was not the fact they where makeing fun of my flawed Ostrich skills but they kept bugging me to drink beer and not scotch :mad:

[SlickHolden]

Used to be just the FBI/NSA who used it, now anyone can buy one .... http://www.keyghost.com/sx/
That would be good for watching the kids and making sure they don't get into things they shouldn't.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

You had cds?

Jesus and to think tapes where all the rage when i was a kid and cd players let alone cds where soooooooo expensive....that was magical time called the late 80s when a "portable" walkman couldent fit in your pocket!

But the embassys are cool and it gets better when they come out and play one time me and a few family members went to the Austrian club to have a few drinks and these blokes in suites rocked up....as it turns out they where pollitical figures from Austria and they got posativly shit faced with us....the only complaint i had was not the fact they where makeing fun of my flawed Ostrich skills but they kept bugging me to drink beer and not scotch :mad:

The mid-90's were my friend - I pinched my Dad's CD Discman (original enough to have NO skip protection. At all. Ever) and we plugged it into some speakers - we were techno savvy children, after all I am the son of a Techno Dweeb :p I learned how to type when I was 7 (better than my Handwritten skills - they still are :p)

The Filipino Embassy party was awesome - they had food stalls and a demonstration of the Native martial art form (Name escapes me) but the compare had an annoying habit of clicking his tongue before the start of any new sentence - so much so that by the end of his spiel about the martial art the entire audience was in stiches. I sort of felt sorry for him but I was laughing to.