Pearl Energy likely to operate upcoming Toowoomba service station at Newtown, developer hopes to shake up market

Just a month after opening its first Toowoomba service station, a low-price fuel operator is looking likely to start in a second servo.

Proposed Pearl Energy signage for a new service station on Taylor Street in Newtown, which is being developed by Keith Beer.

The developer behind an upcoming low-price fuel station servicing Toowoomba’s western suburbs says he wants to put a squeeze on multinational oil companies, accusing them of “price fixing”.

Keith Beer (pictured) said Sydney-based operator Pearl Energy would almost certainly run a service station to be built at the corner of Taylor and Tor Streets in Newtown, with final paperwork the only remaining barrier.

Pearl, which hopes to have up to 100 locations across Australia by the end of the year, recently opened its Harlaxton store and has been swamped by motorists taking advantage of its low prices.

The Pearl and Metco servos were selling e10 unleaded for 119 cents a litre this week, about eight to 10 cents cheaper than most of their Toowoomba competitors.

Mr Beer said smaller market players like Pearl and Metco put price pressure on major fuel brands.

“I think it’s great these people are going out there and providing cheap fuel, because (with the others) it’s price fixing, there’s no other way of saying it,” he said.

“I think people on the western side of Toowoomba will be pleased – it will liven all the others up.”

Keith Beer, developer of a new service station in Newtown. Photo: Bev Lacey / The Chronicle