PETROL prices in Forster have dropped from 153.9 to an average of 147.9 per litre for unleaded fuel in the past week, taking it from the top four most expensive towns in NSW to the eighth.
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But with the wholesale price (TGP) also dropping by eight cents, the National Roads and Motoring Association (NRMA) said that Forster’s lowered prices remain significantly overpriced.
“With the TGP down again, Forster prices are still way higher than the metro areas, and other regional centres,” said NRMA’s director Wendy Machin.
Ms Machin said that Moruya, which shares similar characteristics to Forster as a regional coastal town off the highway, was currently charging on average 135.9 per litre. Similarly Temora, a smaller regional town also off the highway, was sitting at 133.9.
In the meantime, new hopes to address Forster’s fuel price imbalance have emerged thanks to last week’s announcement of increased powers granted to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC).
“The new direction empowers the ACCC to take a close look at geographic areas that are of particular concern,” said Rod Sims, chairman of the ACCC.
“While fuel prices are set by participants in the relevant market, the ACCC will analyse markets that do not appear to be functioning well.”
Whilst a spokesperson for the ACCC said they can’t say anything about specific locations at this stage, the ACCC will be providing further information on its new reporting framework in January. The organisation currently monitors automotive fuel price movements in major cities and around 180 regional locations around Australia.
Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead last week raised the issue of high petrol prices in the Foster region with the ACCC and has called for residents to contact the competition watchdog with their concerns. Similarly, NRMA’s Wendy Machin said the NRMA would certainly like to see the ACCC more active on this issue, but that only time would tell what effect they might have.
Local frustration on petrol pricing in Forster has been reflected both in writing and on the Great Lakes Advocate’s Facebook page.
Glenn Lyndall wrote that local “consumers are being taken advantage of”. Fiona Love commented on an ad for Sydney’s Coles petrol price freeze of $1.14 per litre until January 4 with: “basically we are subsiding Sydney’s petrol price”. Graeme Bentley said: “I would love to shop local, but being in Taree four days a week, I’ll get it in there”.
Many readers agreed, saying they would be filling their tanks out of town until prices reflected the ongoing drop in supplier’s price at the terminal gate.
