02 NEWS
THURSDAY MAY 21 2015
NATIONAL: 11
Police believe that two
drive-by shootings on the
Gold Coast are linked
WORLD: 14
Prince Charles becomes first
British royal to meet Sinn
Fein president Gerry Adams
ENTERTAINMENT: 16
Rockers Birds of Tokyo hit
Darwin to play songs from
their upcoming EP
BUSINESS: 29
Telstra’s newly acquired
Asian telecommunications
provider Pacnet hacked
Wicking ...........................12
Comics .............................31
Your Say .........................12
Television .......................31
National ...........................11
Classifieds ......................33
World ..............................14
Crossword ..................... 32
Entertainment ...............15
Weather ........................39
Sudoku ...........................32
Fishing ........................... 39
Business ........................ 29
Racing ............................19
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16
33
37
19
29
41
25
26
SUPPS
Total prize pool $7.25m
The NT News has taken all possible care
but cannot accept responsibility for any
errors, whether due to equipment fault,
staff handling or any other cause
FUEL WATCH
Darwin ULP
Average 135.6
Lowest 132.3
Multiple locations
Darwin Diesel
Average 136.9
Lowest 135.7
Multiple locations
Alice Springs
ULP 138.9
Diesel 139.9
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spotted a
cheaper
Katherine
price today?
Send us a
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Diesel 136.6
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ULP 160
com.au
Diesel 157.4
Freckle force big guns
FRED McCUE
POLICE will be called if
necessary to allow government
inspectors to enter the final 28
“hazardous” properties still to
be cleared of banana plants as
the National Banana Eradication Campaign nears the end
of phase one.
Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister Willem Westra
van Holthe yesterday put the
last of the Top End’s banana
freckle objectors on notice,
saying police would be called if
residents blocked or threaten-
‘Hazardous’ properties warned
ed inspectors trying to enter
properties as part of their job.
Mr Westra van Holthe’s announcement came as bananas
growing on a property at Herbert outside of Darwin became
the latest to test positive to the
freckle fungus, which has
sparked a $26-million biosecurity emergency in the Top End.
More than 41,000 property
owners have so far co-operated
with the campaign, which has
Mr Cooper said his teams
had successfully worked with
the owners of more than 50 of
80 “hazardous” addresses since
the official eradication deadline of April 30.
Mr Westra van Holthe said
inspectors had to be safe to do
their jobs.
“The biosecurity of the
Northern Territory is paramount. If we don’t eradicate
banana freckle in the NT we
Price falls as spotlight puts servos under pump
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2015 CROC CAPTURES
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seen more than 500,000 banana plants destroyed in six
“red zones” in the Top End.
Campaign
co-ordinator
Kevin Cooper said properties
were declared “hazardous” if
owners were deemed to pose a
potential threat to inspectors.
“That’s where people at that
address may have at some time
threatened or abused people in
the program, either on the
phone or face-to-face.”
don’t have a banana industry
going into the future.”
Police have yet to be called
to assist inspectors in any visits
to more than 9000 properties
on which banana plants have
been destroyed since the campaign began last October.
More than 20 per cent of
residents have voluntarily destroyed their own plants.
“But there are … recalcitrants who we believe could
make things difficult for our
banana response teams, that
we need to send a message to,”
Mr Westra van Holthe said.
144.9¢ The petrol price at BP Ludmilla
on Bagot Rd on Tuesday
AFTER a day of intense scrutiny from
local motorists and media, BP Ludmilla
dropped its unleaded petrol price by 8¢
yesterday.
The service station dropped its price
to 136.9¢ a litre, down from 144.9¢ a litre
on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s jump in prices highlighted
ongoing petrol price discrepancies across
Darwin, with the nearby United selling
ethanol-mix Plus ULP for as little as
121.3¢ a litre, including the common
AANT/United membership discounts.
When approached for comment on
fluctuating prices, a BP spokeswoman
said the company had a blanket policy to
not comment on retail fuel pricing.
The spokeswoman reiterated the no
comment in the wake of the price drop.
Yesterday’s price drop slashed BP’s
mark-up by more than half, but it stayed
und
Pays to shop aro
Great price divide
20 2015
4.6¢ a litre
dearer than the
nearby United,
which
was
among a number of service
stations which
again set their
HOW WE
REPORTED THIS prices at 132.3¢
STORY YESTERDAY a litre.
AANT sales
and marketing
manager Kym McInerney said BP’s decision to raise its prices on Tuesday came
after weeks of narrowing retail profit
margins. Yesterday’s decision to slash its
prices came despite a 0.4¢ a litre rise in
the wholesale terminal gate price. Based
on yesterday’s wholesale and retail prices, BP Ludmilla’s 6.1¢ a litre mark-up 136.9¢: The petrol price at BP Ludmilla
was on par with national averages.
on Bagot Rd yesterday
WEDNESDAY MAY
N FOR
WE’RE BEING TAKE
FUELS on Darwin street
UNITEd
PETROLEUm
121.3cup awithlitre*
Plus ULP at
If you filled
you would
United Ludmilla yesterday you used a
a litre. If
have paid 129.3c
discount card
United/AANT member
121.3c a litre
you would have paid
* If using a United/aaNT
card
member discount
The price board outside
Ludmilla,
United Petroleum,
yesterday
petrol
THESE two Darwin a minthan
stations are less
on the same
ute’s drive apart,
side of the road.
in their
But the difference almost
was
fuel price yesterday for each
$12
20¢ a litre, up to
standard tank.
petrol
The price of unleaded
in
fuel station
at the Ludmilla BP to 144.9¢ pared to make less margin
on Bagot Rd jumped
last few weeks.”
Tuesday, up the McInerney said on Suna litre overnight
Mr
fuel in
8¢ a litre from Monday.at Unit- day the daily average for and
was 135.6¢ a litre
Just down the road
could be Darwin and Puma’s increase
BP
ed, the same fuel
litre with an with
it would have risen
bought for 124.3¢ a
card, or yesterday
yesterAANT/United discount about a to around 139¢ per litre gate
while the terminal
132.3¢ without. That’s
standard 60- day, which they purchased
$12 saving for a
filled up with price was 130.3¢ a litre.
litre tank. If you
for
cent ethanol fuel
Sunday
Plus ULP – a 10 per
“Over Saturday to
have
have saved
blend – you would
profit margin would
129.3¢ a litre, the
5.3¢,” he said.
even more, paying
an AANT/ been
price for
or 121.3¢ a litre with
“That’s a really low
would have
United card. That
Darwin.”
fuel
difference
meant an incredible the two
The national average
between
of 23.6¢ a litre between
margin fluctuations
a litre.
nearby stations.
was even 6-10¢
has seen
The discrepancy
In the past Darwin
upother locamore obvious at End, with fuel margins skyrocket
30¢ before the industions across the Top
across wards of
under public scrutiny
many stations literally
other but try came gouging.
the road from each
mark- for price
held in
unashamedly charging fuel.
A fuel summit was Darfor
last year when
edly different prices
marketing October fuel prices 27¢ higher
AANT sales and
said win saw
Fuel
other capital cities.
manage Kym McInerney
by BP and than
pocketed an unprethe price jump
was signifi- stations 35¢ a litre profit marPuma fuel stations
reflected a cedented
cant but also
gin at the time.
AANT
change in oil prices.
Mr McInerney said
is
increase
competitof
more
level
see
“That
was glad to
he said.
and Territorifairly significant,”
ion in the market,
used to
“There’s been a progressive
may have to get
of oil over ans
prices.
increase in the price and an chasing the cheapest fuel
get
the last six weeks getting
“Down south motorists
of
searchincrease in the cost
conditioned into really fuel,”
the fuel to the Territory.to seven ing and looking for cheap
“But in the last four stayed he said.
refuse
have
weeks the prices
United and BP both
on petrol pricing.
down.
been pre- to comment
“The industry has
MaPS
Wednesday 20-05-15
Draw No. 3453
a litre at BP
144.9cup with
Unleaded
If you filled
minute’s drive
Ludmilla - about a
on the same
from United Ludmilla
you
side of the road - yesterdaylitre
a
would have paid 144.9c
The price board outside
BP, Ludmilla, yesterday
BP
Street map: GooGLe
Tattslotto
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