South Australia’s consumer watchdog, Consumer and Business Services, will target the state’s tourism hotspots before Easter to enforce petrol price reporting rules.

Real-time petrol price monitoring has been saving motorists money for two years in South Australia, according to the state government and it will provide extra funding to continue the service. 

Under the fuel pricing information scheme, fuel retailers are required to report their prices to a central database within 30 minutes of changing the price at the pump.

Drivers can then access free fuel price information via fuel price apps including Petrol Spy, Motor Mouth, myRAA, SA Bowser: Should I Fuel?, Fuel Price Australia and Pumped, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

Starting this week, state-wide inspections will target service stations within regions that are popular tourism destinations over the upcoming Easter long weekend.

Inspection locations include:

•          Southeast

•          Riverland

•          Barossa Valley

•          Clare

•          Flinders Ranges

•          Upper Yorke Peninsula

•          Far West Coast

•          Fleurieu Peninsula/ Southern Hills

•          Metropolitan Adelaide

Since the start of the fuel pricing information scheme in March 2021, Consumer and Business Services has conducted almost 1500 inspections of petrol stations and received more than 1300 complaints about potential breaches of the scheme.

Approximately 250 complaints and inspections have resulted in warning letters, with 18 fines issued.

In efforts to stop petrol price gouging, station operators face expiations of $550 or fines in court of up to $10,000, especially if they have ignored previous warnings.