If you think prices have risen at your local supermarket, spare a thought for residents of Kalumburu, in remote north Western Australia.
Photos cited by the ABC show a packet of Tim Tams is selling for a whopping $11.70, more than double what they sell for in the online stores of both Coles and Woolies.
The pics also showed Arnott’s SAO biscuits selling for $8.90 a packet and Black and Gold brand laundry powder on sale for $9.50. Customers in Kalumburu can expect to pay $6 for 500g of spiral pasta, while online it was selling for $2.95.
While higher grocery prices in rural areas are nothing new, they come after a renewed focus on supermarkets and their pricing practices amid the current cost of living crisis.
Earlier this month, a Senate committee recommended the government forcibly break up Coles and Woolworths and also that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission be granted additional powers to prosecute price gouging.
Are the prices charged in rural areas reasonable, or are they exploiting the locals?
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