Petrol prices fall as diesel rises despite excise cut

The pump price of petrol has fallen from record highs by an average of 13.3 cents per litre across Australia over the past week, but diesel prices have continued to rise.

The Australian Institute of Petroleum (AIP) reports the national average price of petrol for the week ending on Easter Sunday (April 5) was 240.1cpl, down from 253.4cpl the previous week.

Across capital cities, the average petrol price fell by 14.9cpl, from a record 252.9cpl to 238.3cpl.

The drop follows the federal government’s fuel excise cut, which took effect on April 1 and reduced the tax by 26.3cpl. A further 5.7cpl reduction was announced by states and territories on April 2.

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However, diesel prices have continued to increase. The national average rose from 310.0cpl to 312.7cpl over the same period.

In metropolitan areas, diesel prices climbed by 1.6cpl to 310.3cpl, while regional areas recorded a larger increase of 3.5cpl, pushing the national regional average to 314.6cpl.

The federal government has also paused the heavy vehicle road user charge – previously 32.4cpl — for vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) above 4.5 tonnes until June 30, 2026.

Fuel availability has improved, with the number of service stations without petrol or diesel falling from more than 800 sites to fewer than 600 last week, according to The Guardian.

Federal energy minister Chris Bowen said 3.4 per cent of service stations nationwide had run out of diesel completely, including 142 sites in New South Wales, 51 in Victoria and 38 in Queensland.

Speaking on ABC News Breakfast today, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said Australia currently has 39 days of petrol, 29 days of diesel and 30 days of jet fuel in reserve.

When asked whether fuel rationing was being considered, she said: “We are not considering that.

“Our focus is on supply. We previously had security of supply until April. That has now been extended to May. We continue to engage with our international partners, including Singapore and Japan, to ensure those shipments continue to arrive.” MORE: Fuel prices cut again in Australia after GST deal