THE state government has called for an immediate investigation into Tasmania’s inflated fuel prices.
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Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff sent a letter to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Friday after the body was granted new petrol monitoring powers.
Mr Rockliff said anecdotal reports indicated that consumers were concerned that retail petrol prices were not reflective of lower oil barrel prices.
‘‘While we accept there are additional costs associated with shipping fuel to the state, we note that there is a significant difference in the margin between terminal gate prices and retail prices in Tasmania compared with the national average,’’ he said. ‘‘Current figures suggest this margin is about 20¢ a litre in Hobart, more than twice the national average, which we understand to be 8¢ to 10¢ a litre.’’
A Northern Tasmanian petrol station owner said falling oil prices did not change the overall cost of running a business in the state.
‘‘Wages and power bills are not going down and superannuation is going up,’’ the owner said.
‘‘We’re paying more and more but being asked to do it for less.
‘‘The price difference might be 10 per cent dearer, but there are no laws saying what you have to sell it for ... if people are colluding, then that’s unfair.’’
Price statistics detailed on the Australian Institute of Petroleum website showed Tasmania held Australia’s second-highest weekly average price for petrol, sitting 13¢ above the national average.
Hobart held the third-highest cost for metropolitan fuel at 147.7¢ a litre, sitting behind Canberra, at 148.8¢, and Darwin, at 152.6¢.
Tasmania’s regional average price is 150.3¢ a litre, behind the Northern Territory at 166.8¢.