Fuel price trial passes another milestone

Queensland motorists are a step closer to getting all fuel prices on their smartphones, with the search on for a tech solution to collect the data to provide to apps and websites.

Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham told Parliament today that tenders were open for innovative tech suppliers to design and build a system to capture fuel prices from servos.

The fuel prices will then be made available to smartphone apps and websites such as Motormouth, GasBuddy, PetrolSpy, RACQ and Compare the Market, as well as newcomers.

“We want the best suppliers on board so that our trial uses the best technical and innovation capabilities available,” he said.

“The service at the centre of our two-year trial will include data matching and checks to safeguard against any retailers who report inaccurate fuel prices.

“For motorists, this means they will have the knowledge and the power to save at the bowser by making informed purchasing decisions.

“They will be able to use their purchasing power to reward those fuel retailers who give them a good deal, and conversely, avoid the price-gougers.”

The “aggregator” system will collect all of Queensland’s fuel prices, which all fuel retailers will have to supply within 30 minutes of those prices changing at the bowser.

The two-year trial is scheduled to kick off in December.

The two-phase tender program is initially seeking expressions of interest from innovative suppliers, and then the short-listed suppliers will be asked to make a formal offer.

“I want this two-year fuel price reporting trial to be thorough and rigorous, and to do that, we need the best suppliers on board,” Dr Lynham said.

“Importantly, our trial will not inflict unnecessary red tape on retailers.”

The trial comes on top of the Palaszczuk Government’s what you see is what you pay laws that came into effect on 31 January this year. These require retailers to display full prices, rather than conditionally discounted offers, on their fuel boards.

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Media contact: David Potter 0428 411 617