The Minns Labor Government is introducing legislation this week to crack down on service stations not playing by the rules when it comes to helping motorists find the best petrol prices. The proposed laws will create new offences and increase penalties for service stations that fail to report accurate fuel prices and availability through the NSW Government’s FuelCheck system.
The app and website offers real-time prices for fuel across 2400 petrol stations in NSW.
Between March 1 and April 30, the FuelCheck app and website had been visited more than 22 million times.
Under the proposed legislation, it will be an offence for a petrol station or fuel retailer to fail to report a price for fuel or fail to notify if a type of fuel become unavailable.
The proposed laws come after regulations were updated in March, making it mandatory for petrol stations to report on FuelCheck if any type of fuel had become unavailable.
Servos that fail to meet these obligations maybe slapped with an on-the-spot fine of $1100 for individuals and $3300 for companies.
The stations which reoffend within 12 months will face harsher penalties – up to $5500 for individuals and $11,000 for companies.
NSW Fair Trading has undertaken 3700 inspections and reinspections of service stations, and have issued about 230 fines.
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said those doing the “wrong thing” will face consequences.
“We know that fair pricing starts with fair behaviour at the bowser,” he said.
“My message to service stations since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East has been clear: do the wrong thing and you will be caught.”
He said tripling the fines for offending companies and mandating reporting requirements offered better transparency for NSW drivers.
“These changes, coupled with our inspection program, are all about deterring service stations from taking motorists for a ride,” he said.
Fair Trading commissioner Natasha Mann said $2.2m had been invested into the upgrade and improvement of the FuelCheck app.
“When families pull up for fuel, they deserve clear and accurate information. These changes are about making sure FuelCheck works for everyone,” she said.
“To support service stations doing the right thing, the FuelCheck app has been simplified, making it easier than ever for service stations to update information quickly.”
Extracted in full from: https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/nsw-cracks-down-on-service-station-failing-to-comply-with-petrol-price-rules/news-story/620448d568f32edc14cbc10bb7d4289a
