THE Gunner Government’s MyFuel website has been a $250,000 disaster, Opposition leader Gary Higgins said yesterday.
Mr Higgins called on the Government to explain why Darwin was still the most expensive mainland city in Australia to buy fuel.
He said the Territory Government led Territorians to believe its MyFuel website was going to create competition and force down the price of fuel when it was launched last month.
“Instead petrol prices have skyrocketed,” Mr Higgins said.
“In Melbourne and Perth they are paying between $1.27 and $1.30 a litre.
“Darwin is the most expensive city in Australia to buy fuel. In Darwin it is almost $1.49 a litre and the wholesale price is $1.29 a litre.
“Only FuelExpress at Winnellie, where it is $1.35, is not price gouging.
“The Gunner Government’s MyFuel site has been a complete disaster and a waste of $250,000 in taxpayer money.
“Territorians are being burnt at the bowser by unfair petrol prices, only heightened by the flop of a MyFuel website.
“The last thing Territorians need now is an increase in cost of living.”
While Darwin is paying $1.49 a litre, cities of comparable size, like Townsville and Cairns, are only paying $1.39. So too is Adelaide.
In Melbourne, petrol ranges from $1.26 to $1.30. In Perth it is selling for $1.27.
In Brisbane it is around $1.40. In Sydney it fluctuates from $1.24 to $1.40.
Treasurer Nicole Manison said the Government was doing everything it could to drive down the cost of living for Territorians.
“MyFuel NT is a consumer-driven site to help Territorians find the cheapest fuel,” she said.
“Today, for example, Territorians can save more than 10c per litre by using MyFuel NT to find the cheapest fuel in Darwin — at Fuel Express in Winnellie (135.5c) — compared with others at 148.9c.
“MyFuel NT is a recommendation from the ACCC to increase pricing transparency, following years of price gouging in the NT by some fuel companies.
“I will continue to speak directly with the ACCC regarding fuel prices.
“The ACCC are keeping a close eye on fuel prices in Darwin.”
Extracted from NT News.
