Table of Contents
Hawkesbury motorists could see greater certainty at the bowser under a new petrol price transparency proposal announced by the NSW Opposition.
NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane on Friday unveiled a Fuel Transparency and Security Plan that would require petrol stations to set and publicly report a daily price that must remain locked in for 24 hours.
The proposal is modelled on a system used in Victoria, where service stations must set a maximum price for the day, preventing sudden increases while motorists are filling up.
Ms Sloane said the plan would give drivers greater confidence about the price they will pay before arriving at the pump.
“Families shouldn’t have to gamble on a petrol price that might change the minute before they drive into the petrol station,” she said.
“Our plan will give motorists certainty, transparency and protection against sudden price spikes.”
Under the proposal, fuel retailers would also need to provide advance notice of their next day’s price, allowing drivers to compare prices and plan where to fill up.
The issue is particularly significant in regions like the Hawkesbury, where many residents rely heavily on cars to commute to jobs across Western Sydney and the broader metropolitan area.
Many Hawkesbury residents travel long distances for work, commuting to major employment centres such as Blacktown, Parramatta and the Hills district.
For many Hawkesbury commuters driving 40 to 60 kilometres each way, even small increases in petrol prices can quickly add up over the course of a week.
Petrol prices across the Hawkesbury have also fluctuated in recent weeks, with service stations in Windsor and Richmond sometimes recording noticeable price differences depending on the day.
The opposition said penalties would apply to petrol stations that fail to accurately report prices or breach the daily price lock rule.
The announcement also outlined a broader Fuel Security and Resilience Strategy, which would review fuel storage capacity and supply chain risks across NSW.
The Coalition said the transparency scheme would be introduced if it wins government at the 2027 NSW election.
This has drawn a response from the NSW Government Minister for Energy Penny Sharp MP who has signaled the Government believes the issue should be addressed through coordination with suppliers rather than new retail pricing rules.
