WA FIFO workers drive growth in Perth's car sharing economy

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This was published 4 years ago

WA FIFO workers drive growth in Perth's car sharing economy

By Marta Pascual Juanola

Perth's fly-in, fly-out workers are driving growth in the state's emerging car-sharing economy, according to neighbour-to-neighbour car sharing platform Car Next Door.

As the sharing economy gains momentum nationwide, thousands of people are choosing to ditch their cars in favour of more flexible arrangements, while others take advantage of their under-utilised vehicles to make extra cash.

Since arriving earlier this year, the industry has had a faster uptake in Perth than any other Australian city, with one in three new users offering up their cars identifying as shift workers.

Will Davies, Founder Car Next Door.

Will Davies, Founder Car Next Door. Credit: James Brickwood

"Perth has this big population of FIFO workers and car sharing makes sense for this sector," Car Next Door chief executive Will Davies said.

"There are now about 45 cars live in Perth and another 350 in the pipeline.

"When Car Next Door launched in Brisbane they had around half that number in the same timeframe and in Canberra about one third of that number."

The reasons behind the growth, he said, were Perth's limited car-sharing options and a growing demand for new modes of transport.

Despite lagging behind major Australian metropolises such as Sydney and Melbourne, the number of car-sharing platforms operating in Perth was steadily growing.

Mobile phone apps Uber and Ola offered short ride options for users, while Car Next Door gave customers wheels for a few hours.

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Those looking for longer-term agreements could turn to traditional rental car companies and online platform Drive My Car.

As congestion across the Perth metropolitan area rises, with commuters to spend 60 per cent of their time stuck in traffic by 2031, car sharing is predicted to quickly catch on.

Sharing is caring

When Mosman Park FIFO mechanic Simon Philips bumped into a social media ad about a car-sharing platform two months ago it felt only natural to sign up.

Tired of leaving his SUV sitting idle in the garage for days at a time while on shift in the Pilbara, the 38-year-old had been waiting for a chance to make the most out of his investment and earn a bit of cash on the side.

Fly-in fly-out mechanic Simon Philips.

Fly-in fly-out mechanic Simon Philips.

"When I am around Perth a lot of the time I'm riding my motorbike anyway so my car tends to live its life in the garage, which is an absolute waste," he said.

"I had heard about car sharing and I knew that it had been going on over east for a while but just not over here, I just thought 'oh, that's what I've been waiting for'.

So far, Mr Philips has rented his SUV to a couple of pioneer borrowers, but as car ownership costs continue to rise, he hopes the industry will start picking up soon.

"It's just one of those things that makes sense," he said.

"These days things are getting a bit more expensive so just being able to share things helps everybody all around.

"Not everything pleases everybody, some people will like it and some people won't, but I think the more it goes on people will start to see advantages a little bit more and will gradually come on it."

A mindset shift

After moving to Australia from New Zealand, FIFO geologist Kacee Grant was planning on finding accommodation in Perth, scoring a job at a mine site and buying a car.

But six months after making the move, she is yet to buy her own vehicle and is choosing to rent a stranger's car most weeks instead.

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"Just the expenses, maintaining a vehicle when you're only in Perth every second week, insurance and all of those things ... it just made more sense to not get one," she said.

"I have decided that there's no real need for me to spend however many thousands of dollars on a vehicle to then maintain it. I'd rather spend it on travelling."

RAC data shows the annual cost of having a car in WA is on the rise, sitting at just under $12,000 a year, the equivalent to $215 a week.

Ms Grant said she usually rents a car once a fortnight, spending between $50 and $100 a month, significantly less than the cost of owning her own vehicle.

The 22-year-old said younger generations were slowly moving away from home and car ownership to embrace more flexible lifestyles.

"I've got friends that FIFO east and they are away for two or three weeks and they just rent vehicles, or share it with partners," she said.

"It does make life a lot easier.

"I do really hope there's a shift because less vehicles on the road is always a great thing, whether that's from an environmental perspective or just east of using transport methods, the less vehicles on the road the quicker it is to get places."

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