Canberrans paying more for petrol, medical services and child care

AngryIan said :

Acton said :

The title to this article should be: ‘Canberrans paying more for petrol, medical services, child care and residential rates.’

According to the ABS: “Local government rates and charges are also included in the Australian CPI as they are examples of inescapable costs associated with home ownership.” http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/consumer+price+index+faqs#Anchor18

ACT Government rates are a significant component of our yearly home expenditure and have risen by 7.2%, 11.5%, 12.0% and 10.9% in each of the last four years. As general rate increases impact on all Canberra property owners, I would expect the Canberra CPI figure would have been a lot less than other states, had it not been for the residential rates increases imposed by the ACT Government on all Canberra households, far in excess of council rates increases elsewhere, the CPI, wage rises and irrespective of household income or capacity to pay.

A way to reduce the cost of petrol would be to force the ACT government to make all their fleet of car either fully electric or hydrogen/electric. That way the cost for people to buy the same sort of vehicle would be more obtainable and those supplying petrol/lpg/diesel will have to charge less or lose even more customers.
So Government when are you going to mandate ALL your fleet, within a renewal cycle of 3 years, to be powered this way so all of us constituents can benefits?

It’s already happened: http://reneweconomy.com.au/act-leads-180m-investment-hydrogen-storage-car-fleet-33870/

Haven’t you seen all the new hydrogen cars cruising around Canberra?

Acton said :

The title to this article should be: ‘Canberrans paying more for petrol, medical services, child care and residential rates.’

According to the ABS: “Local government rates and charges are also included in the Australian CPI as they are examples of inescapable costs associated with home ownership.” http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/consumer+price+index+faqs#Anchor18

ACT Government rates are a significant component of our yearly home expenditure and have risen by 7.2%, 11.5%, 12.0% and 10.9% in each of the last four years. As general rate increases impact on all Canberra property owners, I would expect the Canberra CPI figure would have been a lot less than other states, had it not been for the residential rates increases imposed by the ACT Government on all Canberra households, far in excess of council rates increases elsewhere, the CPI, wage rises and irrespective of household income or capacity to pay.

A way to reduce the cost of petrol would be to force the ACT government to make all their fleet of car either fully electric or hydrogen/electric. That way the cost for people to buy the same sort of vehicle would be more obtainable and those supplying petrol/lpg/diesel will have to charge less or lose even more customers.
So Government when are you going to mandate ALL your fleet, within a renewal cycle of 3 years, to be powered this way so all of us constituents can benefits?

dungfungus said :

JC said :

ffisher said :

When I moved here 4 years ago I was shocked about how expensive this place is – everything: electricity, gas, telecomms, hairdressers, doctors, dentists, beauticians (yes, a luxury I know but rarely go now because of cost), coffee (which is served lukewarm – huh?), tradesmen, petrol (worst planned city in my opinion – Canberra props up the petrol industry), you don’t know how much you are being ripped off until you have lived elsewhere.

Canberras electricity and gas are some of if not the lowest in the country. We do of course generally use more in winter to heat houses but that’s a different argument.

And telecoms? There is no local surcharges or price difference for any telecom charge that I know of. One industry that is truly national.

We still pay the ACT Government a Utilities (Network Facilities) Tax on the infrastructure of utility companies, including Telstra which was imposed by the Stanhope Labor government in 2007. I think we are the only territory/state that pays this sort of thing, plus all those nebulous levies on our rates bills.

Good point. However doesn’t change fact power and gas us still cheaper than elsewhere.

And with telecoms the only company who has passed on the network tax directly to me was Telstra on my now non existant land line.

My current ((NBN) delivered VoIP service doesn’t pass on the cost nor does my internet provider or my mobile phone provider. It is still paid by NBN as the network owner but cost no additional cost to ACT customers.

The title to this article should be: ‘Canberrans paying more for petrol, medical services, child care and residential rates.’

According to the ABS: “Local government rates and charges are also included in the Australian CPI as they are examples of inescapable costs associated with home ownership.” http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/d3310114.nsf/home/consumer+price+index+faqs#Anchor18

ACT Government rates are a significant component of our yearly home expenditure and have risen by 7.2%, 11.5%, 12.0% and 10.9% in each of the last four years. As general rate increases impact on all Canberra property owners, I would expect the Canberra CPI figure would have been a lot less than other states, had it not been for the residential rates increases imposed by the ACT Government on all Canberra households, far in excess of council rates increases elsewhere, the CPI, wage rises and irrespective of household income or capacity to pay.

JC said :

ffisher said :

When I moved here 4 years ago I was shocked about how expensive this place is – everything: electricity, gas, telecomms, hairdressers, doctors, dentists, beauticians (yes, a luxury I know but rarely go now because of cost), coffee (which is served lukewarm – huh?), tradesmen, petrol (worst planned city in my opinion – Canberra props up the petrol industry), you don’t know how much you are being ripped off until you have lived elsewhere.

Canberras electricity and gas are some of if not the lowest in the country. We do of course generally use more in winter to heat houses but that’s a different argument.

And telecoms? There is no local surcharges or price difference for any telecom charge that I know of. One industry that is truly national.

We still pay the ACT Government a Utilities (Network Facilities) Tax on the infrastructure of utility companies, including Telstra which was imposed by the Stanhope Labor government in 2007. I think we are the only territory/state that pays this sort of thing, plus all those nebulous levies on our rates bills.

ffisher said :

When I moved here 4 years ago I was shocked about how expensive this place is – everything: electricity, gas, telecomms, hairdressers, doctors, dentists, beauticians (yes, a luxury I know but rarely go now because of cost), coffee (which is served lukewarm – huh?), tradesmen, petrol (worst planned city in my opinion – Canberra props up the petrol industry), you don’t know how much you are being ripped off until you have lived elsewhere.

Canberras electricity and gas are some of if not the lowest in the country. We do of course generally use more in winter to heat houses but that’s a different argument.

And telecoms? There is no local surcharges or price difference for any telecom charge that I know of. One industry that is truely national.

dungfungus said :

ffisher said :

When I moved here 4 years ago I was shocked about how expensive this place is – everything: electricity, gas, telecomms, hairdressers, doctors, dentists, beauticians (yes, a luxury I know but rarely go now because of cost), coffee (which is served lukewarm – huh?), tradesmen, petrol (worst planned city in my opinion – Canberra props up the petrol industry), you don’t know how much you are being ripped off until you have lived elsewhere.

I have just been quoted over $1,000 to have a solar panel array connected to the local grid. The cost in Sydney or Melbourne is less than half this.

A solar HWS costs one third more in Canberra than Sydney. Installation costs twice as much.

Canberra was a nice place 20 years ago to live but pump-priming the economy has a cost. Anyone now earning less that $50K pa here is on the poverty line.

You post reminds me of when I lived in Sydney 20 years ago. To start with my employer put me up in Potts Point. So one state of origin night I went to the bottle shop in Double Bay to get a slab of beer and it was about 25% dearer than I was used to. I asked why and was told you are in Double Bay sir. Even Woolworths was more expensive in Double Bay.

Point being companies will charge what they believe the market will pay.

Canberra has always been more expensive, I don’t like it that’s for sure but not really much you can do except shop around and go interstate if it is cheaper or use that as a bargaining tool and send a price point message to local business.

Queanbeyanite said :

Petrol will always be more expensive here because you’re all well paid and enjoy the sound of a wide open throttle. Any shopkeeper who sells an essential product will bite you for whatever they can get. I’ve certainly seen no sign the price is so high Canberrans are driving more economically, even the coal-powered Prius fang around like F1 racecars.

And there’s no surprise anything subject to overweening government regulation and trade union capture is getting dearer and everything else sold by hundreds of competing small shops is getting cheaper.

“coal-powered Prius”.

That has made my day.

BTW, those small shops are getting smaller in number.

Some of these comments strike me as a bit odd – the ACT has the cheapest electricity in the country, for instance. Our petrol prices are now regularly roughly on par with Sydney prices. https://www.mynrma.com.au/about/latest-weekly-fuel-report.htm.

Petrol will always be more expensive here because you’re all well paid and enjoy the sound of a wide open throttle. Any shopkeeper who sells an essential product will bite you for whatever they can get. I’ve certainly seen no sign the price is so high Canberrans are driving more economically, even the coal-powered Prius fang around like F1 racecars.

And there’s no surprise anything subject to overweening government regulation and trade union capture is getting dearer and everything else sold by hundreds of competing small shops is getting cheaper.