The price of petrol in Tasmania remains unacceptably high despite a recent oil price slump, federal Labor members say.
Interstate motorists are now buying their petrol for less than $1 per litre, while Hobart motorists are paying between $1.20 and $1.30 per litre.
Southern Tasmania’s lowest prices, of $1.04 per litre, could be found at Grove and Sandfly on Wednesday.
Six Labor MPs have written to Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chief Rod Sims seeking an inquiry into what they describe as a rip-off.
Terminal gate prices for unleaded petrol were 90.8 cents per litre in Hobart yesterday, about six cents per litre more than other state capitals.
But retail prices have been jacked up much higher.
“The latest data from the Australian Institute of Petroleum reveals Tasmania’s average retail petrol price is more than 20 cents above the national average,” the Labor members said in their letter.
“Tasmania’s average petrol price is the most expensive of any state, and Hobart has the highest metropolitan price in the country. It is clear Tasmanians are being ripped off at the bowser.
“The average cost of petrol in Tasmania is still considerably more than 120 cents per litre.”
Member for Franklin Julie Collins, member for Lyons Brian Mitchell and Senators Carol Brown, Catryna Bilyk, Helen Polley and Anne Urquhart said the ACCC needed to investigate why Tasmanian fuel prices were so high.
Premier Peter Gutwein urged motorists to vote with their wallets.
“Petrol is a competitive market. I would expect people would shop around and, for a petrol retailer that passed on savings, I would expect they would see an increase in their business at this point in time,” he said.
Extracted from Daily Telegraph