Darwin petrol prices jump by up to 10 cents per litre in three days

PETROL prices across Darwin have jumped by up to 10 cents per litre in the past three days to reach almost 130 cents today.

Petrol prices across Darwin have jumped by up to 10 cents per litre in recent days. Pictured are petrol prices at United on Daly St, Darwin City this morning. Picture: Glenn Campbell

PETROL prices across Darwin have jumped by up to 10 cents per litre in the past three days to reach almost 130 cents today.

According to the Northern Territory government’s MyFuel NT website, the average price of unleaded 91 across Darwin was just 119.6 cents per litre on Monday.

But this morning, that average price had risen to 129.3 cents per litre.

Other than independent fuel outlet FuelXpress in Winnellie, where unleaded was on sale for 118.5 cents, prices ranged from 129.5 to 129.9 cents per litre.

The average price of diesel has also risen in Darwin in recent days, going from 119.9 cents per litre on Tuesday to 125.5 cents this morning.

Unleaded and diesel prices also jumped in Palmerston, the Top End rural area, Litchfield, Katherine and Central Australia between Monday and today.

The price of Unleaded 91 petrol at a wide range of Darwin service stations today on the MyFuelNT website at 12 noon. Any other Darwin petrol stations not shown here were selling Unleaded 91 for more than 129.7c a litre at the time of checking. The price of Unleaded 91 was as low as 115c a litre at some stations last week, some Darwin motorists say.

FuelXpress Winnellie general manager Pat O’Connell said the price increases were a result of the effect rising crude oil prices were having on the Terminal Gate Price (TGP) – and noted his station would also be raising its prices later in the day.

“The TGP has been rising sharply … however the retail prices in Darwin haven’t followed in line with those increases, and this is just a natural correction.

“So there’s nothing underhanded happening.

“Our FuelXpress prices will be going up shortly, to about the same degree.”

Automobile Association of the NT (AANT) chief executive Anthony Hill said the association also understood the price hikes were due to an increase in the TGP.

However, Mr Hill said he understood motorists’ frustrations at seeing such large price hikes within such a short time frame.

“It is frustrating, particularly given the fact we’re in a drive market now – more people are driving. So this will affect household expenses on a weekly basis,” he said.

“Hopefully we won’t see this long-term.”

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Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the NT government was keeping a close eye on petrol prices.

“We are keeping an eye on prices around the country and have also seen rises in other states in recent days, so these increases aren’t isolated to the Territory,” he said.

“We will continue to monitor the situation.”

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