Urgent Warning: Australia Day long weekend impacts petrol prices; surge expected
By
VanessaC
- Replies 7
As the Australia Day long weekend approaches, Australians are gearing up for road trips and family outings.
However, this year's festivities may come with an unexpected sting in the tail—a sharp rise in petrol prices.
Sydney residents have been enjoying a dip in petrol prices, with regular unleaded petrol currently averaging 178.2 cents per litre and diesel at 192.4 cents per litre.
But this brief respite is set to end abruptly due to increased demand over the long weekend.
The wholesale price of petrol has climbed 5.5 cents a litre in the past week, indicating that retail prices are set to follow suit within days.
This comes as a blow to motorists, who saw petrol prices begin to fall in Sydney just before Christmas, albeit only reaching a low of 176 cents per litre.
This is in stark contrast to the mid-160 cents per litre seen in Adelaide and Perth.
Brisbane currently holds the dubious honour of having the most expensive petrol in the country, with regular unleaded sitting at a whopping 209.9 cents a litre.
Melbourne, on the other hand, boasts the cheapest petrol at 177.5 cents.
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury urged motorists to fill up their tanks before the inevitable price spike.
'Unfortunately, we are seeing prices start to creep up in the Sydney market much sooner than expected,' Mr Khoury said.
'The price at the bottom of the cycle in Sydney bottomed out at around 10 cents per litre higher than Adelaide and Perth, meaning Sydney has continued its 2023 trend of paying more for petrol than some of its smaller capital city counterparts.'
The price disparity between petrol stations is also a cause for concern, with a staggering 60.6 cents a litre price difference between Sydney's cheapest and most expensive petrol.
This represents a $33.30 price difference on a tank of fuel, a significant amount for budget-conscious motorists.
Here's a snapshot of the average price for regular unleaded across the nation's capital cities:
In other news, Australia's east coast is bracing for the arrival of Cyclone Kirrily, which is set to make a ‘severe impact’ on Thursday, 25 January, ahead of the Australia Day long weekend.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles announced in a press conference on Monday, 22 January, that Cyclone Kirrily is expected to hit between Innisfail and Airlie Beach, south of Cairns.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) foresaw the storm's development into a category one cyclone and said it would intensify further to reach category three by Wednesday and early on into Thursday, 25 January.
You can read more about this news here.
What are your thoughts on this latest news? Let us know in the comments below!
However, this year's festivities may come with an unexpected sting in the tail—a sharp rise in petrol prices.
Sydney residents have been enjoying a dip in petrol prices, with regular unleaded petrol currently averaging 178.2 cents per litre and diesel at 192.4 cents per litre.
But this brief respite is set to end abruptly due to increased demand over the long weekend.
The wholesale price of petrol has climbed 5.5 cents a litre in the past week, indicating that retail prices are set to follow suit within days.
This comes as a blow to motorists, who saw petrol prices begin to fall in Sydney just before Christmas, albeit only reaching a low of 176 cents per litre.
This is in stark contrast to the mid-160 cents per litre seen in Adelaide and Perth.
Brisbane currently holds the dubious honour of having the most expensive petrol in the country, with regular unleaded sitting at a whopping 209.9 cents a litre.
Melbourne, on the other hand, boasts the cheapest petrol at 177.5 cents.
NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury urged motorists to fill up their tanks before the inevitable price spike.
'Unfortunately, we are seeing prices start to creep up in the Sydney market much sooner than expected,' Mr Khoury said.
'The price at the bottom of the cycle in Sydney bottomed out at around 10 cents per litre higher than Adelaide and Perth, meaning Sydney has continued its 2023 trend of paying more for petrol than some of its smaller capital city counterparts.'
The price disparity between petrol stations is also a cause for concern, with a staggering 60.6 cents a litre price difference between Sydney's cheapest and most expensive petrol.
This represents a $33.30 price difference on a tank of fuel, a significant amount for budget-conscious motorists.
Here's a snapshot of the average price for regular unleaded across the nation's capital cities:
In other news, Australia's east coast is bracing for the arrival of Cyclone Kirrily, which is set to make a ‘severe impact’ on Thursday, 25 January, ahead of the Australia Day long weekend.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles announced in a press conference on Monday, 22 January, that Cyclone Kirrily is expected to hit between Innisfail and Airlie Beach, south of Cairns.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) foresaw the storm's development into a category one cyclone and said it would intensify further to reach category three by Wednesday and early on into Thursday, 25 January.
You can read more about this news here.
Key Takeaways
- Sydney petrol prices are expected to rise due to increased demand ahead of the Australia Day long weekend.
- The wholesale price of petrol has increased by 5.5 cents a litre in the past week, influencing retail prices.
- Motorists are urged to fill up their tanks before prices spike and to shop around for the best deals due to significant price disparities.
- The Sydney market has shown a trend of higher petrol prices compared to some other capital cities, and prices across the nation are varied, with some capitals reporting rising prices while others are falling.
Last edited: