Source : Perth Now news
Diesel has eclipsed $3.10 at some capital city service stations with independent retailers selling unleaded petrol for $3 a litre.
On Saturday, fuel trackers show at least one independent service station in Melbourne’s northern suburbs is selling unleaded 91 for 299.9c-per-litre. Even closer to the city, less than 10km from the CBD, regular diesel is selling for 314.9c-per litre at one major retailer.
In NSW on Saturday, U91 is selling for an average of 238.1c, and regular diesel is averaging 282.2c across the state.
In towns such as Orange, diesel is going for 302.9c. As the independent fuel retailers are squeezed out by the supply contracts of the major players, one independent seller in Sydney’s North Strathfield has diesel selling for 299.9c a litre on Saturday.
This weekend’s prices come on the back of analysis by GlobalPetrolPrices, showing unleaded prices in only Laos and Nigeria have increased more than Australia since the war in Iran began.
According to RACQ, Queensland diesel and unleaded prices reached new record highs this week.
The most expensive fuel in the Sunshine State was on K’gari, with unleaded and diesel selling for $3.60.
Speaking on Friday, Assistant Competition Minister, Andrew Leigh said the competition watchdog had taken the unusual stop of announcing they were investigating the major fuel retailers.
“Normally the competition watchdog wouldn’t announce an enforcement investigation, but in this case they said they had,” Mr Leigh said.
“That’s into Ampol, BP, Mobil and Viva Energy and it’s concerning diesel availability to independent wholesalers and distributors serving regional and rural Australia. So, that I think demonstrates very clearly that we have a strong competition enforcer,” he said.
Following a national cabinet meeting of Anthony Albanese, Premiers and Chief Ministers on Thursday, the federal government appointed a fuel tsar to oversee the response to price spikes and supply chain disruptions.
“Australia is well-prepared, our fuel supply is currently secure, however I want us to be overprepared,” the Prime Minister said on Thursday.
“We’re doing all that we can to secure our fuel supply and get it to the places it’s needed.”
