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Double blow for bushfire-stricken community as thieves target farmers for fuel

Thieves have siphoned petrol from bushfire-stricken farmers in Victorian communities as the fuel reaches a cruel new low.

Sarah Thomson and her husband Ross awoke yesterday to find the tanks on their Ruffy property had been squeezed dry.

Around 400 litres of diesel and 100 litres of unleaded had been siphoned from the tanks, which the sheep farmers use to power their farm vehicles.

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Two fuel tanks on Sarah Thomson's Ruffy property were siphoned.

"It's incomprehensible really, that someone could drive in here, trespass for a start, but onto an area that's been burnt and steal fuel from us while we're trying to rebuild after this fire," Sarah said.

The couple's land was hit by the deadly Longwood fire that devastated the region in January.

More than 1850 sheep were killed or had to be put down and 1500 acres of the farm was scorched.

Sarah and Ross are now working to restore 18 km of fencing around the farm.

"It's bone dry and we can't do what we need to do without fuel," Sarah said.

"Our business runs on fuel, regional Australia runs on fuel."

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Two fuel tanks on Sarah Thomson's Ruffy property were siphoned.

Police have issued alerts about possible fuel theft in the regions.

Nearby Euroa is also feeling the sting from delivery surcharges passed on to business customers as a result of skyrocketing fuel costs.

"Our customers are struggling but we're doing our best to support them, but there will come a point when it's no longer sustainable for us to absorb it," Euroa IGA owner Tim Burton said.

Local MP Annabelle Cleeland urged the government to cut the fuel excise immediately, fearing Victoria could "grind to a halt rapidly".

"Right now we're seeing supply shortages right across regional Victoria and this is going to disrupt the supply chain," she said.

"We're going to see supermarket products become extraordinarily expensive on the shelves in Melbourne if we don't give a break to regional Victorians."

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