Australian body proposes to standardize fuel price boards across the country

Petrol stations across Australia could be forced to standardize their fuel price boards after Australia’s Legislative and Governance Forum on Consumer Affairs (CAF) released on December 7 a public consultation paper canvassing options to simplify roadside fuel boards.
The paper, Consumers and Fuel Price Boards, is a response to complaints about fuel boards advertising only some fuel types, or low prices that are only available to drivers who have the right shopper docket or credit card.
“Consumers are being sucked in by fuel price boards that prominently display the prices of the most discounted fuel type,” Federal Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury said.
“Once they drive into the service station, only then do they find out that there are often large differences between the prices of the different fuel types available – sometimes more than 10 cents a liter.”
The CAF paper includes three options to make the rules around price boards clearer.
Changes could include only letting fuel boards show undiscounted prices, or developing a detailed national standard mandating equal prominence for the undiscounted prices of a standard set of fuel types.
The third option would rely on current laws and industry self-regulation.
Specific regulations about what information is given on fuel price boards and how it is displayed are already on the way for New South Wales (NSW).
From September next year, retailers selling up to four fuels must display the price of all of those fuels.
Motorists and industry stakeholders can have their say by visiting the Australian Consumer Law website (www.consumerlaw.gov.au).