Oliver Lees
A Kurunjang resident is calling on the state government to create a fuel price reporting scheme, due to growing concerns that pump prices in Melton are consistently above average.
Having lived in the Melton area since 2005, Jordon Mizzi has been keeping a close eye on fuel prices over the last decade.
“My experience with fuel prices in Melton is that they have been consistently higher than surrounding suburbs and I avoid filling up in town at all cost,” he said.
“I work near Melbourne Airport and drive past every service station along the entire Melton Highway every week for the past 10 years.
“Without fail, I find cheaper fuel options, often priced between 10 to 50 cents per litre lower at service stations in Hillside and next to Watergardens.”
Fuel price reporting systems are currently in place in all states in Australia except Victoria.
These systems create a mandate for petrol stations to notify the government about changes to their prices.
This information is then made available for the general public to allow them to make informed decisions on where to fill up.
In 2017 held an inquiry into establishing such a system, but instead of installing a government mandated system, it recommended that road users utilise private websites and apps that serve a similar function.
But Mr Mizzi said these private services are inadequate.
“On average only 80 per cent of service stations per day have accurate data reported by drivers, some days more than 30 per cent of reported service stations have out of date or inaccurate prices,” he said.
“When the nearest service station outside Melton is a 15 minute drive, you would want to be certain the reported price is accurate before you make the trip.”
Melton MP Steve McGhie did not directly voice support for a reporting scheme managed by the government, but said it was important that Melton residents were treated fairly at the pump.
“My community deserves fair fuel prices, and I’ll continue to advocate on their behalf and speak out against price gouging,” he said.
“I look forward to continuing to engage with Minister Williams on fuel price reporting in Melton.”
