Victorian Nationals: Real solutions to save on the growing price of fuel

Victorian motorists could save up to $800 per year by getting the best price at the pump under a new plan announced today by the Victorian Liberals and Nationals.

Later this week, Victorians are set to be hit with an additional 22 cents a litre for petrol and diesel when the petrol excise cut ends.

While petrol tax is outside of the control of the State Government, we understand that this is a significant issue and believe that the State Government should do whatever it can to assist.

Therefore, to ease these price pressures on Victorian households, a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will invest $1 million over four years to establish an app that compares fuel prices, modelled on the successful New South Wales FuelCheck app.

The NSW service displays the price for over 2,400 petrol stations across the state and allows users to quickly and reliably check for the best priced fuel in their local area and has had more than 2.2 million downloads since it was launched in 2017.

A Victorian version of this app will provide comprehensive, real-time information to motorists on current petrol prices at retail outlets near them – a handy tool that could save Victorians up to $800 a year.

To facilitate accurate pricing data and support private sector innovation, the Liberals and Nationals will introduce legislation that makes fuel reporting mandatory, bringing Victoria in line with the rest of the country.

Furthermore, the Liberals and Nationals will explore adding price and location information for electric vehicle charging stations across the state.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, David Southwick, said the new app would potentially save Victorians hundreds of dollars every year.

“The price at the pump has reached levels never before seen in this country and we must do all we can to try and ease this added burden on family budgets,” Mr Southwick said.

“A compare and save app is a real solution to tackle the growing cost of living in Victoria under Daniel Andrews.

“With this innovative app, Victorians will be able to quickly compare and find the best fuel price in their area, saving hundreds of dollars every year.”