The Benalla community joined much of the world last week in a trend that saw the panic-buying of toilet paper.
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With news of a potential pandemic caused by the coronavirus outbreak, people across the world have been buying in bulk - despite there being no toilet paper shortage, in Australia at least.
Supermarket shelves were restocked during the weekend, however, late last week the Benalla community cleared out every roll.
Subsequently Woolworths and Coles moved to apply a quantity limit on toilet paper packs to ensure more customers had access to the products.
"The purchase limit of four packs per customer transaction applies in-store and online,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.
"It will help shore up stock levels as suppliers ramp up local production and deliveries in response to higher than usual demand.
"Our teams are continuing to work hard on restocking stores with long-life food and groceries from our distribution centres."
With most of Australia's toilet paper produced domestically, there is no supply shortage — despite the supermarket shelves telling a different story.
The shelves were simply empty because of panic-buying and have been re-stocked since.
Stocks of hand sanitiser and face-masks were also dwindling across the country last week with purchase limits also applied to them.
Benalla Facebook pages blew up with outraged locals admonishing those who were hoarding all the toilet paper.
Many pointing out that those who live cheque to cheque, such as single parents, students and many of the town's workers, could not buy any until their normal weekly shop.
By which point much had been purchased and none was available.
One lady, "Beth", wrote on Benalla Community Noticeboard:
"Completely disappointed in the stupidity and selfishness of our community.
"Three supermarkets and two servos later and we have no toilet paper in town.
"Out on my weekly shop and was so shocked and disgusted, not only at the selfishness of the people doing this, but at the greed of the shops allowing it to happen.
"This is not the Australian way I grew up with. I hope you're all happy with yourselves because you have now caused the shortage in our supermarkets not the virus and made the pockets fuller of the owners/ investors in these greedy giants.”
Another going by J Senior Simmo had a similar opinion:
“I really thought Benalla people had more brains then what they have.
“Some of them are very childish. Australia would never run out of toilet paper if we acted like grown-ups and purchased the toilet paper in our usual manner.
“Anyone that has more then two packs of toilet paper in their cupboards, think about it and grow up.
“People condemn us baby-boomers, but look how you are acting.”
On the same Facebook page "Carla" tried to inject some sensibility in the issue.
“People are worried about toilet paper supplies,” she wrote.
“We actually manufacture most of our toilet paper in Australia, so we have plenty of it.
“It's the ‘just-in-time’ inventory system that isn't coping with people panic buying.”
However, no amount of reassurance stopped the panic-buying in Benalla, or across the country.
The current advice for avoiding any virus, including the flu, is to avoid person-to-person contact, such as shaking hands; avoid touching your own face; and wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, regularly. And if you need to cough, do it into the inside of your elbow, not your hands.
● For more information on coronavirus, contact a medical professional.
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