Tuesday, 18 February 2025

 Steve McGHIE (Melton) (13:41): There is something seriously wrong with petrol prices in Melton, and I am absolutely furious that local fuel stations continue to get away with this blatant price gouging. This marks the fourth time I have spoken on this issue, yet nothing has changed. Meltonites are being exploited and every single fuel company operating here – the 7-Eleven, the BP, the Shell, the Ampol – should be ashamed. They are shamelessly robbing the people of Melton, charging more than 40 cents per litre above the rest of the state. Enough is enough. I have repeatedly approached the ACCC demanding an investigation into this outright rort. How much longer must Melton residents suffer under these outrageous fuel prices? The people of Melton are fed up. They refuse to be taken advantage of.

The price gouging in Melton is undeniable. To expose just how blatant it is, I tasked an intern with producing an investigative report, and the findings confirmed exactly what Melton residents have been shouting for years. Fuel prices in Melton are consistently 40 cents higher than the state average, and on any given day we are paying more than every other neighbouring suburb. Last week Melton drivers paid $2.09 per litre, while Bacchus Marsh and Laverton paid $1.67 and $1.65. It is just blatant highway robbery. The report calls for a ‘fuel watch’ system, and while the Allan government’s version is welcome and will help the Melton community know in advance the price of fuel in their local area, fuel providers in Melton are still extorting this community with unjustified prices. This rort must end, and I encourage the Melton people not to buy fuel in Melton.