The expected rise in post-GST petrol prices is not likely to be felt by motorists until the middle of the week, fuel companies said yesterday. And the rise, when it comes, could be about four cents a litre. Petrol prices in many centres remained unchanged or even fell over the weekend as the nation made the transition to the new tax system. But this had more to do with normal weekend variations, and price rises midweek were inevitable, the companies said. It will probably be the middle of next week.
Prices are typically low on the weekend.
They go up Tuesday and Wednesday and reach a high on Thursday, Friday. Currently, petrol is being discounted. It's three or four cents off what it should be in Melbourne. Petrol prices should realistically be 92 or 93 cents a litre in Sydney and 89 or 90 cents a litre in Melbourne, Mr McMaster said, but service stations had chosen to discount prices over the weekend. Service Stations Association spokesman Chris Hanlon said the only weekend increase had been in the price of LPG gas, which went up between four and five cents.