More empty shelves ahead in WA supermarkets as Coles and Woolworths try to restock stores

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Chief Executive of Woolworth says supermarket shelves in Perth will not be filled to near normal levels for a least another week. Those in WA’s population centres have been warned to get used to supply cuts as weather events become more intense.

Transcript

00:00 Still, more empty shelves than usual in Perth supermarkets, and the slimmer pickings are

00:07 likely to continue.

00:09 The immediate cause of the shortages was the flooding in March, which cut rail supplies

00:13 until Easter.

00:14 When you look at the national interstate freight disruptions, they're becoming more frequent

00:19 and more intense and more often.

00:21 We'll have to live with those sort of consequences of shelf shortages.

00:25 The people of Perth and other WA centres are warned that a lack of warehousing and the

00:29 onset of more intense weather events means they're going to have to get used to supply

00:34 cuts.

00:35 We can't just harden all our roads or all our rail networks.

00:38 We need road, rail, sea and air as part of a national strategy of freight resilience,

00:43 and that's going to require national leadership on it.

00:46 Some shoppers believe they can cope with the current shortages.

00:49 Personally I think we will.

00:50 We have quite a small family and a cupboard full of tin food, but I could imagine that

00:56 if you were trying to feed a lot more people that it might be an issue.

00:59 I feel like the bottle water, like the one litre or two litre water, is always empty

01:04 on the shelf.

01:05 For now I'm alright, although I have noticed that some brands, I'm having to change brands

01:11 because of the way it works.

01:13 In a statement Woolworths said a large amount of stock was being sent by rail to help get

01:17 levels back on track, with a priority on chilled products.

01:21 A statement from Coles said there would be stock arrivals in the coming days as the backlog

01:25 clears.

01:26 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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