New Victorian regulations designed to increase transparency and lower costs at the fuel pump officially came into force this month, mandating that fuel retailers participate in live price reporting and adhere to daily maximum price caps.

The rollout is of particular interest to residents in Yarrawonga, where fuel prices have long been a source of local frustration.

Recent data shows unleaded prices in Yarrawonga hovering between $1.83 and $1.85 per litre, while neighbouring towns like Cobram, Rutherglen, and Wangaratta often see prices 10 to 20 cents lower.

Diesel at about $2.00 per litre has consistently 20 to 30 cents lower in Rutherglen.

On Thursday last week, the lowest unleaded fuel price in Yarrawonga was $191.9 at Unified, whereas in Cobram and Rutherglen, the cheapest price was $169.9.

This price gap has led to more than 1,200 residents signing petitions and organizing boycotts.

Many locals have resorted to driving to nearby towns to refuel, which has a secondary negative impact on the local economy as they often perform their grocery shopping outside of Yarrawonga as well.

Tim McCurdy, Member for Ovens Valley, has been a vocal critic of the disparity, repeatedly calling for parliamentary inquiries into potential "price gouging" and a lack of competition in the region.

Starting Tuesday, March 10, service stations that fail to comply with the live reporting requirements face significant financial penalties.

Retailers could be fined more than $24,000 and face criminal convictions.

Under the two-phase Fair Fuel Plan, service stations must report their maximum fuel prices for the following day by 2:00 pm each afternoon to be made available to the public via the Service Victoria app at 4pm.

The rules introduce a 24-hour price cycle from 6:00 am each day.

Crucially, once a service station reduces its price during that 24-hour window, the new rules prevent them from increasing it again until the next day’s cap takes effect.

The Victorian Government maintains that the measures are essential for providing relief to hardworking families.

A government spokesperson said the plan made it "faster, easier, and more affordable for motorists to fill their tanks".

However, the implementation has not been without its hurdles. Victoria is the last Australian state to adopt mandatory live fuel reporting.

The government has faced scrutiny over "inconsistent communications," with some official channels claiming real-time prices were available on the Service Victoria app last year, even though the app was not displaying live data for all stations.

While Consumer Affairs Victoria continues to monitor retailers for compliance, frustrated motorists are encouraged to use existing tracking services like PetrolSpy or FuelCheck to find the most competitive prices in the interim.

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Tuesday, 21st November 2028

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