RIVERINA motorists have been slugged by one of the steepest fuel cost hikes this year with prices climbing 10 cents per litre since the March quarter.
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The average cost of Wagga’s regular unleaded consistently sat above $1.21 for July in a 9.1 percent peak from the previous $1.11 average.
Neighbouring towns Hay and Tumut were the two most expensive places in the entire state to buy petrol at $1.35 and $1.30 respectively.
But the biggest Singapore gasoline price drop in five months could soon provide much-needed relief.
NRMA spokeswoman Rebecca Page blamed a lack of competition for the region’s rising petrol prices.
“The supply and demand relationship is a little bit different; it’s not quite like Sydney where you have hundreds of service stations trying to gain the edge,” she said.
“If the service stations aren’t in serious competition, they don’t have that necessity to drive their prices down.”
She said it could take a decent period of time before the Singapore benchmark price fall is felt in regional Australia.
Industry experts have described the price rise as a knee-jerk reaction to the rebounding global oil costs.
Meanwhile, Fitzmaurice Street independent service station operator Paul Seaman has pointed the finger at the big chains’ price cycling, which he said has become commonplace.
“They’re just cycling all the time now – discounting the prices on quiet days at the start of the week when nobody has money and jacking it up on the weekends,” he said.
“You get a snowball effect where the smaller stores have to follow suit to keep up.
“That’s what really drives the prices up.”
He said if drivers properly timed their fuel purchases, they would be able to buy “quite cheap”.
Wagga motorist and frequent interstate driver Colin Forbes said he tried to avoid long drives and road trips when local prices saw big spikes.
“It doesn’t seem like much when it’s only a handful of cents every litre but you notice it big time on a big drive,” he said.
“I drive to Adelaide quite a bit and I’d normally make it well into South Australia on one tank but lately I only make it just past Pinnaroo.
“At least the cost might make people walk or ride a bike around town.”
Drivers are advised not to pay more than $1.21 per litre.
