FUEL companies should be forced to publish its prices in real-time so motorists can keep informed about the lowest cost fuel wherever they are in Queensland.
Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington said the data would be available to third parties who wanted to build apps to inform Queensland motorists of the cheapest prices.
“People are hurting and paying through the nose for fuel,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Under our Fight for Fairer Fuel plan we will make retailers publish their prices in real time, and the date and time from which the prices will be applied.
“The system we are proposing will allow for information to be shared within a very short timeframe online and will be updated whenever the petrol station’s fuel boards are changed.”
Other states already have existing requirements for publishing fuel price data, such as NSW with its fuelcheck.nsw.gov.au/app
Price variations of up to 25c/litre, even in the same suburbs or country towns, is simply outrageous.
- Deb Frecklington
However, Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey state-run website would create a new layer of bureaucratic red tape will do nothing to bring down petrol prices and only duplicate market based services.
“Queenslanders already have access to a variety of commercially generated, real-time, fuel monitoring services like MotorMouth and Gas Buddy,” Mr Bailey said.
“In fact, on August 8, 2013, the LNP’s current Transport and Mains Roads Shadow - the Member for Chatsworth - ridiculed previous attempts at national, real-time petrol price monitoring.”
Mr Bailey said Mrs Frecklington should be pressuring Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to ensure the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission had the powers and legislation it needed to act on the national issue.
Mrs Frecklington said all fuel retailers, large or small, should be required to update information in real-time.
“It has already saved motorists hundreds of dollars a year in NSW and I don’t even mind if Annastacia Palaszczuk nicks our idea before 2020,” she said.
“It is time to pull the curtain back on the secret formula the retailers use which has led to very high prices, particularly in regional areas, without much justification.
“Price variations of up to 25c/litre, even in the same suburbs or country towns, is simply outrageous.
“If fuel stations are required to post real-time price information it will give consumers all the power, where they can vote with their feet and their cars, and that will create enormous competition.”