The average price of unleaded petrol in Kingaroy has risen by more than 31 cents per litre in just four years.
The RACQ’s 2012 Annual Fuel Price Report showed the average ULP price in Kingaroy in 2012 was 148.4cpl, compared with 142.3cpl in 2011, 128.7cpl in 2010 and 117.1cpl in 2009.
RACQ Executive General Manager Advocacy Paul Turner said the cheapest ULP in Queensland was sold on the Sunshine Coast.
“Motorists throughout Queensland were hit with higher ULP prices, with the average state-wide price up 5.2cpl on 2011, at 150.1cpl,” he said.
Only three regional locations – the Sunshine Coast (143.9cpl), Mackay (144.5cpl) and the Gold Coast (145cpl) – offered cheaper ULP prices than Brisbane, where ULP averaged 145.4cpl.
Diesel prices were also up across the state in 2012, with an average of 153.2cpl making it 3.5cpl higher than the 2011 figure.
Kingaroy motorists paid an average of 151.7cpl for diesel last year, 3.4cpl higher than the previous year and up 33.2cpl from the 2009 average.
In Brisbane, diesel prices were up 4.1cpl on the 2011 average, with Townsville, Warwick, the Whitsundays, Ipswich and Gympie the only regional locations to offer cheaper diesel.
Townsville was the cheapest place in Queensland to buy diesel in 2012, with an average of 148.1cpl.
“With the number of motorists driving diesel-powered vehicles on the rise, it’s disappointing to see diesel prices so high,” Mr Turner said.
“It’s now more important than ever that motorists interested in purchasing a diesel-powered vehicle do their maths to ensure they will actually be able to save on their fuel costs in the long run.”
The average cost of LPG in Kingaroy in 2012 was was 81.8cpl although it climbed as high as 88.9cpl in December.
Mr Turner said fuel prices in 2012 would have been even higher if the Australian dollar had not been so strong, serving as a buffer.
“At the moment there is no immediate threat of higher oil prices, so the retail price of fuel is expected to soften.
“However, the oil price is very volatile and affected by political instability. Any conflict overseas could result in a dramatic increase in the price of oil, which would push our prices up locally.”
The RACQ’s annual survey of fuel prices is based on average monthly price data provided by independent fuel price monitor MotorMouth.
