Geelong petrol thefts are costing “mum and dad” operators about $1200 a month, according to APCO service station director Peter Anderson.
“They’re running small businesses working their butts off,” he said.
“I’ve spoken to many, many victims after (thefts) and you really do have to admire them.”
Often franchise operators had no choice but to increase petrol prices to recover costs, Mr Anderson said.
A report quoted by a 2016 Victorian Parliamentary inquiry found that for every 120 extra service station thefts per month in NSW prices rose 10 cents per litre.
“The consumer is the one who has to cover it,” Mr Anderson said.
But a recent police crackdown in Geelong had made inroads into local theft, he said.
“We’re really thrilled about it.”
Under the pilot program, which began in August 2017, police encouraged service station workers to phone triple 0 after fuel thefts.
The increased reporting led to a massive surge in reported drive off offences (171 to 599) but also a decrease in related crime, according to police.
“Some of these people that have done these drive offs are wanted for other things,” Mr Anderson said.
“Victoria Police are going to solve a lot of other crimes.”
While initially increased reporting made Geelong seem like the “drive off capital of Victoria”, other areas of the state had much more petrol theft, Ms Anderson said.
Service stations in parts of Melbourne had theft losses from $2000 to $3000 a month, he said.
Mr Anderson praised workers who returned to the job after holdups, especially an attendant who endured an armed robbery at a Lara service station in July.
“He wanted to go back to work the same night – that’s guts,” he said.
