State Government to implement live fuel price monitoring
THE RACQ has welcomed news that will make it easier for Queensland drivers to bypass greedy petrol stations as the government caves into pressure to introduce real-time fuel price monitoring, but some aren’t convinced it will lead to savings.
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QUEENSLAND drivers will soon be able bypass greedy petrol stations as the government caves into pressure to introduce real time fuel price monitoring.
The RACQ welcomed the Palaszczuk Government’s announcement this morning it would commence a two-year trial of real-time petrol price reporting in Queensland
RACQ spokesman Paul Turner said Queensland motorists, who paid some of the highest prices for fuel in the country, would be empowered with the information they needed before filling the tank.
“Today’s announcement means every Queensland driver will be able to find out the price of fuel at every servo every 15 minutes — it’s a huge win,” Mr Turner said.
It means that apps and websites that already exist like MotorMouth and GasBuddy will be able to provide more accurate information to user than they can from relying on the public sending the prices in.
Energy Minister Anthony Lynham this morning announced a taskforce would be established with stakeholders to best determine how to roll out the policy.
The RACQ will be included in the taskforce.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said she welcomed the Government’s climb-down on fuel price monitoring after months of campaigning by the Opposition and motoring groups.
“I have backed real-time fuel price monitoring since I became LNP Leader because I understand the financial pressures Queenslanders are facing,” Ms Frecklington said.
Petrol stations will only be required to advertise their current petrol prices on their own websites rather than a public online marketplace.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the move during Question Time in Parliament this morning, saying it was involved in a Griffith University and RACQ report.
Ms Palaszczuk continued her attack on the Federal Government, calling on them to scrap a 38 cent tariff on petrol to lower prices.
Fueltrac general manager Geoff Trotter said the move was about the government “being seen to do something about high petrol prices.
“It is the Government reacting to pressure to do something that doesn’t in any way address the structural lack of real competition so I believe it will fail to deliver savings,” he said.
Mr Trotter said experiences in real-time pricing in the Northern Territory showed no evidence of any savings to Darwin motorists.
“The government is reacting to pressure from RACQ representing motorists using dodgy claims masked as empirical evidence that a similar system in NSW has delivered a saving of 2c/litre,” he said.
“The ACCC using real evidence has consistently identified that Brisbane motorists pay higher prices with higher margins … so even if NSW figures are true it won’t close that gap.”
Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association CEO Mark McKenzie said while no industry liked increased regulation the association accepted the government’s decision.
“ACAPMA will work cooperatively with the Government — and other stakeholders — to pursue an option that represents least cost for fuel retail businesses, especially small retailers, and their customers,” he said.
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