NEWS RELEASE
17 September 1998
Petrol Price Survey Shows Falls Outnumber Rises
Petrol prices continue to vary widely around the country, particularly between city and
regional areas, according to the latest petrol price monitoring data released by the
Australian Automobile Association today.
The monthly survey found that prices fell during August in 67 per cent of the locations
monitored, including all capital cities, but rose in all but one of the others, where there
was no change.
Of the 94 towns and regions covered by the survey, Brisbane had the cheapest petrol
on average at 58.2 cents per litre, although prices as low as 53.4 cpl were recorded
on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. The dearest was again in Alice Springs, where the
price remained constant at 85.9 cpl last month.
Queensland continued to display the biggest regional variation in prices of any state
or territory with a difference of 23.5 cpl between the lowest on the Sunshine Coast
and the highest in Mt Isa. The smallest variation of 6.1 cpl was in Tasmania, where
prices went from a low of 71.8 cpl in Burnie to a high of 77.9 cpl in Hobart.
Sydney motorists paid an average of 69.5 cpl, which was 2.5 cents dearer than the
Wollongong average. The highest average price in NSW was 79.0 cpl in Orange, but
Griffith had the most expensive petrol at 80.9 cpl.
The average price in Melbourne was 66.7 cpl, the same as Geelong, making them the
cheapest places to buy petrol in Victoria. Wodonga had the highest price in the state
with an average of 78.2 cpl and a maximum of 79.9 cpl.
SA’s cheapest prices were in Adelaide, where the price averaged 64.1 cpl, compared
with the highest average of 74.3 cpl in Renmark and a maximum price of 76.9 cpl in
Port Augusta.
In WA, the lowest average price was 65.6 cpl in Mandurah, which was one cent below
the average for Perth. By contrast, Kalgoorlie motorists paid an average of 80.9 cpl,
although the price in Geraldton went as high 81.1 cpl.
Darwin prices averaged 78.0 cpl but fell as low as 75.9 cpl, while ACT prices ranged
from 66.7 to 76.9 cpl, with Canberra motorists paying 71.7 cpl on average.
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Contact
Lauchlan McIntosh
AAA
0418 424 886
Constituent Members