Petrol prices are continuing to climb across Tasmania as Middle East conflicts drive uncertainty in fuel markets, with unleaded petrol now averaging $2.05 per litre statewide, up 30 cents in a week.
The latest FuelCheck Tasmania data shows diesel averaging $2.20 per litre, with the highest price hitting $2.49 at Westerway Roadhouse and the cheapest at $1.84 at Bothwell SuperStore.
For unleaded 91, Lady Barron Store recorded the most expensive price at $2.32 per litre, while Dodges Ferry Hill Street Grocer offered the cheapest at $1.69.
Nathan Thurlow, general manager of Tas Petroleum, said they were seeing increased wholesale prices across the board from every oil company.
“We’ve been seeing movements bigger than we saw back when COVID hit,” he told Pulse.
He said despite the rapid changes, people shouldn’t be stocking up on fuel more than normal.
“They definitely shouldn’t … all that’s doing is making it worse.”
He said the federal government should be looking at cutting the fuel excise during the time of instability, which would help the general public at the petrol station counters.
At Buckland Store, customer service worker Abbey Boxall said fuel deliveries are getting smaller and more expensive with each order.
“We’ve definitely had a lot of people coming and filling up and then taking as much extra as they can,” she told Pulse.
“It just keeps jumping up every order. We’re trying to keep it as low as we can for everyone, but it’s a bit impossible with the increase.”
The store’s unleaded sits at $2.09 per litre today and diesel at $2.29, but Boxall expects prices to rise with every delivery.
“The deliveries are getting a little bit smaller in the amount, so they’re trying to spread the fuel out between service stations,” she said.
“We’re only getting kind of half of what we normally would get delivered.”
Boxall advised drivers to keep their tanks as full as possible, noting prices at some stations had already reached $2.40 per litre yesterday.
“Every trip you go out, I’d be filling your tank back up again because it’s just going to start to cost you more and more,” she said.
The Peninsula Hardware service station at Nubeena yesterday confirmed they had run out of diesel, leaving just one other service station available to supply diesel on the Tasman Peninsula south of Murdunna.
“[We] don’t know when we will be refilled at this stage. Still have Unleaded and Premium but will likely start rationing it to get us all through to our next delivery,” they posted to social media.
The station confirmed to Pulse that they remain without diesel as of this morning.
State minister Bridget Archer yesterday urged Tasmanians not to panic buy despite the rising costs and supply concerns.
“Nobody needs to be stockpiling fuel, there are good supplies of fuel at the moment and continuing to be good supplies,” she said.
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Australia is “very well prepared” to face the global market challenges.
“There is no need to rush to the service station and fill up,” he said.
“I do understand people’s concerns, but it’s important that people know we do have a good stock of petrol in reserve in Australia.”
“There is no immediate threat to petrol suppliers in Australia.”
