![The Yarrawonga Ampol pictured on Wednesday, November 29. Locals say the price of fuel at their tourist town has been absurdly high compared with surrounding towns for many years. The Yarrawonga Ampol pictured on Wednesday, November 29. Locals say the price of fuel at their tourist town has been absurdly high compared with surrounding towns for many years.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/170490233/ebeeeeb9-77f2-4cf7-b345-c4a7c10a5955.jpeg/r0_0_2000_1124_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Locals at a North East town say they're so fed up with high fuel costs caused by alleged price gouging they're boycotting local servos to drive afar to get a better deal.
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In some cases, their protest means they're going without food.
Fuel prices at Yarrawonga have been pegged at up to 30 cents a litre higher than surrounding towns where many drive to fill up.
Many motorists there have long suspected the prices are high because cashed-up Melburnians who favour Yarrawonga and Mulwala as holiday destinations are unlikely to drive further afield to seek a cheaper bowser price.
The high price of both unleaded petrol and diesel has led to many taking a 37-kilometre drive to Cobram - and doing their grocery shopping while they're there, hurting the Yarrawonga economy.
But it's not Yarrawonga servo operators behind the gouging, says a former long-time mayor and ex-service station owner - he says fuel prices are dictated by fuel companies.
![Former long-time mayor and service station owner Gary Poidevin blames big fuel companies for price gouging, not independent servo operators. File picture Former long-time mayor and service station owner Gary Poidevin blames big fuel companies for price gouging, not independent servo operators. File picture](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/170490233/6f443997-489e-4cc5-86c3-13e272fca859.jpg/r0_0_1018_624_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Gary Poidevin, who had 13 terms as Corowa Shire mayor between 1995 and 2010, also supported the claim high fuel prices in Mulwala and Yarrawonga were driven by city visitors who were prepared to foot the high fuel bill.
Mr Poidevin said he quit the service station business 12 years ago because he was "sick of being forced by the fuel company selling him the fuel to charge people outrageous prices".
"It is the petrol companies that are dictating the terms, they ring you up and tell you this is the price that you're going to buy the petrol," Mr Poidevin said.
"The individual owner can't can't make a living by cutting the prices down to beat competitors' prices in outerlying towns.
"The servo owners get bashed with a stick from the locals because they're charging so much and ... look, I got screwed that hard in Corowa. My main opposition was with a supermarket that was owned by the same fuel company.
"The fuel prices that they were charging ... let's say back in the day they were $1.50 - and I had to charge $1.69 - I just couldn't compete.
"I told the company to jam it up their backside because they were ripping people off - I just could not go along with what they were doing."
Yarrawonga aquaculture technician Damien Doodman said he fills his tank in Cobram now because the fuel prices in Yarrawonga "are so extortionate".
"I was spending so much on petrol I had trouble affording my groceries, I used the food bank a couple of months ago because I hadn't bought food for three weeks," Mr Doodman said.
"People will continue to boycott the servos here - no one wants to give them any money, people would rather pay more money to someone else just because they're so unhappy with the situation here."
![For years Yarrawonga resident Jon Cers has driven to Cobram to fill up his tank to avoid high fuel prices he says get even higher on public holidays. Picture by Mark Jesser For years Yarrawonga resident Jon Cers has driven to Cobram to fill up his tank to avoid high fuel prices he says get even higher on public holidays. Picture by Mark Jesser](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/170490233/61b06365-330f-4572-bb0f-479bb292579c.jpg/r0_0_1017_626_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Another Yarrawonga local, Jon Cers, said while prices often increased on weekends, they stayed high during the week.
"All through the long weekend, and during the hot rod show there, the prices were just ridiculous," Mr Cers said.
"He was like 25 cents a litre dearer than Cobram. I don't know how they can justify it. They can't really."
Prices on Wednesday, November 29, were higher in Yarrawonga than at Cobram and Wodonga, not by as high as 30 cents more a litre, but "this would change on the weekend".
On Wednesday, the price of unleaded petrol at Yarrawonga Ampol on Belmore Street was $204.9 compared with $196.9 at Ampol Cobram. Diesel at the same outlets was $227.9 compared to $211.9.
The price of unleaded at Ampol West Wodonga was $191.9, while a nearby Apco was selling the same for $179.9, while diesel was selling at those outlets for $211.9 and $198.9 respectively.
Ampol told The Border Mail on Wednesday, November 29: "Ampol prices each retail site independently and always aims to offer customers value for money.
"The biggest driver of fuel prices is the global price of oil products, which has been significantly impacted by recent geopolitical factors.
"Fuel prices will vary from site to site depending on many factors, including supply chain costs, site operating costs, volume throughput, shop offer and local competitive prices."
Meanwhile, at Mulwala, residents are watching a development application for another service station at Inglis Street with interest.
It is understood Federation Council will make a decision on the application at an extraordinary meeting on December 12.