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Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?. (Read 2223 times)
imcrookonit
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Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Nov 4th, 2010 at 7:50pm
 
PRICES for key supermarket items such as bread, milk and breakfast cereal have risen sharply in the past five years, government data reveals.

The hip-pocket pain at the checkout couldn't come at a worse time for Aussie families, who are already facing increased mortgage repayments after yet another interest rate rise from the Reserve Bank earlier this week.

According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics released yesterday, Melbourne shoppers paid an average of $3.78 for a loaf of sliced white bread in the three months to September 30.

That's up from $2.67 in the same period five years ago.

The average price for two litres of milk rose 53c to $3.64 over the same period.

Breakfast cereal, sausages, tomatoes, eggs and instant coffee were also in the long list of groceries to have become more costly in the past five years.


Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn said the rising cost of living and higher interest rates were starting to add up for Aussie consumers.

"The argument about the banks and the profits they're making is not a dissimilar issue in terms of supermarkets. They're very concentrated markets - one has four players, one has two players," he said.

"You're pretty much at their whim."

CommSec chief economist Craig James said the drought had driven up grocery prices in recent years.

"It's so much affected by the vagaries of the weather. You can go out there and say, 'well, I think that food prices could be rising over the next five years'.

"Then lo and behold, we could have some really great seasonal conditions and an abundance of supply. If there's plenty of water then prices will be constrained."

South Melbourne's Jacquie Dixon, 30, said she had noticed food prices rising.

"I lived overseas for a while and every time that I came back home to Australia, I noticed that food was a lot more expensive," she said.

"The things getting pricey are vegies, lemons, milk, yoghurt and ice cream. I've started shopping at markets because fruit and vegetables are cheaper and really good quality."

Higher grocery bills were putting pressure on family budgets, Ms Dixon added.

"My sister has two young kids and she tells me all the time how expensive food is getting."





Comments on this story

    *
     alex alexis Posted at 2:07 PM Today

         In the USA a loaf of bread costs AUD $1.70, one dozen eggs $1.70, two litres of milk $1.70, one kilo of ham $8.50, one kilo tomatoes $1.20 European prices are similar Why are Australian prices so expensive?

    *
     maja Posted at 1:36 PM Today

         and on current affair and today tonight they will shows us how family of 4 can eat for $50.00 a week or less, how to save electricty to put 3 jumpers on and cover your self with blanket, how to save water, shower two at the time, how to save gas, do not cook/heat and this is bounus as will double saving , only thing that will keep you sane is WORK, work long hours , how sad but is true , country like Australia to even air crap like that

    *
     Ricky Posted at 1:14 PM Today

         And the worst part is there is no real definable reason why the prices are going up.They`ll tell you it`s the drough,the GFC blah blah blah but you ask a farmer what he gets and you will see the money isn`t going into food production costs.It`s about time the govt stepped in and did something about this rort.



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aussiefree2ride
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #1 - Nov 4th, 2010 at 8:31pm
 
Crook, will you FFS GET A JOB!
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imcrookonit
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #2 - Nov 4th, 2010 at 8:36pm
 
What has that got to do with the price of groceries, whether I have a job or not?.
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Kat
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #3 - Nov 4th, 2010 at 9:04pm
 
Quote:
What has that got to do with the price of groceries, whether I have a job or not?.



Nothing, I'd say.

It's completely irrelevant.
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...
 
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #4 - Nov 4th, 2010 at 9:32pm
 
There are a few reasons, but I point the finger mostly at the price of labour in Australia.
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imcrookonit
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #5 - Nov 4th, 2010 at 9:41pm
 
No one can complain about the price of Labour in Australia.  The minimum award rates of pay are very reasonable.
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Sir lastnail
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #6 - Nov 4th, 2010 at 10:14pm
 
aussiefree2ride wrote on Nov 4th, 2010 at 8:31pm:
Crook, will you FFS GET A JOB!


When you get a job first Wink
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In August 2021, Newcastle Coroner Karen Dilks recorded that Lisa Shaw had died “due to complications of an AstraZeneca COVID vaccination”.
 
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Sir lastnail
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #7 - Nov 4th, 2010 at 10:15pm
 
Quote:
No one can complain about the price of Labour in Australia.  The minimum award rates of pay are very reasonable.


Except when it's a tradee then the pay scale goes through the roof Sad
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In August 2021, Newcastle Coroner Karen Dilks recorded that Lisa Shaw had died “due to complications of an AstraZeneca COVID vaccination”.
 
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Ex Dame Pansi
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #8 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 5:25am
 
There's a CEO at the end of every loaf of bread, who wants a bigger bonus every month.
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"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Hendrix
andrei said: Great isn't it? Seeing boatloads of what is nothing more than human garbage turn up.....
 
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #9 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 10:58am
 
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Nov 5th, 2010 at 5:25am:
There's a CEO at the end of every loaf of bread, who wants a bigger bonus every month.


You seem to have something against executives. Why don't you try it for one month? You won't even last.
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #10 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 11:25am
 
SOUTH Korea and Taiwan are managing to produce cheaper power than Australia, even though they have to ship the Australian coal that fires their furnaces.

In self-sufficient Australia, households are paying one-third more for electricity than those in Taiwan and South Korea - two of the biggest buyers of Australian coal.

Residential power prices in Australia have surged 12.4 per cent in the past year, four times the rate of inflation.
...

While Australian households paid relatively more for their electricity than their Asian counterparts, industrial customers paid similar amounts for power: 8.4c in Australia, 7c in Korea and 8.2c in Taiwan.

But in Japan, the biggest buyer of Australian coal, industrial power prices were double Australia's at 14.3c, with households paying 21c.

Industry analyst Ben Freund, the chief executive of energy price comparison website GoSwitch, said of Japan: "They have to import the fuel and transport it from Australia. They are ultimately paying a lot more for their fuel than we are, but they don't impose artificial costs on their consumers like we do.

"They look upon the power sector as meeting the needs of the economy at a low price. But in Australia, the energy sector has become something of a plaything for politicians."

The Energy Users Association of Australia yesterday claimed power prices were on track to double within five years and triple within a decade as utilities spent billions of dollars on infrastructure, and the federal government forced them to source one-fifth of their supplies from renewable energy by 2020.

...

Mr Freund said Australia had not built any new coal-fired power stations for two decades, despite surging demand from a growing population fond of power-hungry air-conditioning, clothes dryers and flat-screen TVs.

"Demand for power has been increasing exponentially but we haven't built any of those coal-fired power stations to support the grid," Mr Freund said.

"If demand is increasing, we should just be producing more of it; supply should meet demand as it does for any other commodity and we shouldn't be seeing these sorts of skyrocketing prices."


...

Coal is Australia's largest commodity export, supplying 18 per cent of the thermal coal trade and earning $55 billion in 2008-09. Most is destined for power plants in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan for electricity generation.
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It_is_the_Darkness
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #11 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 11:43am
 
Its a racket Soren.
They don't want to provide cheaper power for Consumers, the 'Workers' in the Power fields will keep things at a higher cost for their own pockets.
Workers V Consumers.
Eureka Stockade V Choice Watchdog

...they could 'win' the war in Afghanistan but it is better to just 'sustain' it for many reasons.

Sydney is the best example in how a City can be set up to scam at every chance via fines, tolls, ticketing etc as much money from the Consumer as possible.
They don't want 'answers' they want 'money'.

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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #12 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 11:48am
 
Hlysnan wrote on Nov 5th, 2010 at 10:58am:
Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Nov 5th, 2010 at 5:25am:
There's a CEO at the end of every loaf of bread, who wants a bigger bonus every month.


You seem to have something against executives. Why don't you try it for one month? You won't even last.


As a CEO you only have to BS for a year, bump up interest rates on the punters, sack a few thousand employees here and there, send a few 100 jobs over to Indian call centers then you get a guaranteed 1 st division lottery win even if you are a complete bungling incompetence Wink
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In August 2021, Newcastle Coroner Karen Dilks recorded that Lisa Shaw had died “due to complications of an AstraZeneca COVID vaccination”.
 
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Deborahmac09
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #13 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 12:49pm
 
Fuel price for a start.
I thought the gst was suppose to replace other taxes, except for income.
It is true the Howard government kept the taxes, but one other government has removed them either.
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #14 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 12:50pm
 
Sir lastnail wrote on Nov 5th, 2010 at 11:48am:
As a CEO you only have to BS for a year, bump up interest rates on the punters, sack a few thousand employees here and there, send a few 100 jobs over to Indian call centers then you get a guaranteed 1 st division lottery win even if you are a complete bungling incompetence Wink


When my dad worked as an executive, he left the house at 5am and came home at 9pm and sometimes worked on Saturdays. This was at a small company so the pay wasn't anywhere near comparable to all those famous companies but it was still a lot of work and too much stress. I think I said in a previous thread that even if I was paid 20 million, I wouldn't want to go near this sort of job.
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #15 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 3:11pm
 
when house prices increse then all people want their money up to pay for mortgages .. but then .. all will creat even more problems .. especially in the enrgy and food industries ..
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #16 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 3:18pm
 
I told youse - the Great Inflation.
(now for the high blood pressure)

People owe money and have to pay rates, so they will inflate their retail prices and the Unions will up pay rates
...its all gonna go outta control, just like the Great Depression did.

DON'T SPEND MONEY
DON'T BORROW MONEY
JUST SAVE AND HOLD ON TIGHT AGAINST THE 10M SWELL.
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #17 - Nov 5th, 2010 at 3:56pm
 
Sir lastnail wrote on Nov 4th, 2010 at 10:14pm:
aussiefree2ride wrote on Nov 4th, 2010 at 8:31pm:
Crook, will you FFS GET A JOB!


When you get a job first Wink



I`m supposed to be retirted you dripstick, however I work approx 50 hrs per week.  I like work.
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it_is_the_light
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #18 - Nov 9th, 2010 at 4:12pm
 
http://www.infowars.com/john-boehner-says-in-order-to-pay-for-the-wars-we-need-to-raise-the-social-security-retirement-age-to-70/

John Boehner Says In Order To Pay For The Wars, We Need To Raise The Social Security Retirement Age To 70
                                    
Daily Bell
November 8, 2010
I’m not in denial. I understand that some form of entitlement reform needs to happen otherwise we’ll go broke. And though I would be effected by the change Boehner advocates, gradually raising the retirement age for Social Security to 70 for those more than 20 years away, I would support it as part of a larger program of spending cuts. We’re all going to have make concessions.

watch video report
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #19 - Nov 9th, 2010 at 4:22pm
 
It_is_the_Darkness wrote on Nov 5th, 2010 at 3:18pm:
I told youse - the Great Inflation.
(now for the high blood pressure)

People owe money and have to pay rates, so they will inflate their retail prices and the Unions will up pay rates
...its all gonna go outta control, just like the Great Depression did.

DON'T SPEND MONEY
DON'T BORROW MONEY
JUST SAVE AND HOLD ON TIGHT AGAINST THE 10M SWELL.



If you believe hyperinflation is a risk what you are suggesting is the complete opposite of what you should do.

Spend it now while your purchasing power is still up, or better yet invest it in income producing industrials or commodities.
Borrow as much as they'll lend you, within a short space of time the loan will be worthless.  See point 1 for the best thing to spend it on.
Don't save a penny, it will be worthless before long.

Accumulate.
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Politicians and Nappies need to be changed often and for the same reason.

One trouble with political jokes is that they often get elected.

Alan Joyce for PM
 
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Re: Why Are Australian Prices So Expensive?.
Reply #20 - Nov 9th, 2010 at 6:27pm
 
By my calcs the milk has only increased about 3.5% a year.

That seems fair to me.
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And why not, if you will permit me; why shouldn’t I, if you will permit me; spend my first week as prime minister, should that happen, on this, on your, country - Abbott with the Garma People Aug 13
 
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