People Power at the Bowser

This week the Palaszczuk Government is putting power back in the hands of motorists in Queensland, Chris Whiting MP said.

This week the Queensland Government launched a two-year trial that requires all fuel retailers to report their fuel prices.

Fuel reporting apps and websites have been around for a while now, but they do not always include up to date information.

By using a fuel reporting app or website locals will be able to find the cheapest petrol.

If everyone shops around the more expensive retailers will soon get the message.

Retailers will have to report fuel prices within 30 minutes of them changing at the bowser, or face fines of up to $13,000 for not complying.

The ACCC has found that petrol prices across Brisbane can vary by as much as .15c a litre. This is something we see locally with petrol stations on Anzac Ave in North Lakes and Mango Hill often having big price differences.

There are 1,446 petrol stations across Queensland and as of Friday 30 November 92% (1,328) have signed up to the trial. All retailers have until Easter 2019 to comply or face fines.

The Palaszczuk Government is not spending taxpayers money to develop our own fuel price report app or website, as there are already products on the market.

Unlike the New South Wales system, we will be using a data matching system that never sleeps so retailers who try to not comply can be caught out at any time – day or night.

We undertook extensive consultation to get this system right, and to make sure there is no unnecessary red tape on fuel retailers.

Griffith University is going to evaluate the trial and at the end of the two-year trial we will take a look at the results and see if it is working for Queenslanders.

This trial complements our government’s ‘What you see is what you pay’ laws that came into effect on 31 January 2018.