ACCC report could help Townsville fuel prices IN TOWNSVILLE THERE ARE 27 TO 30 SERVICE STATIONS, THERE ARE SIX IN AYR AND IN INGHAM THEY HAVE FOUR. IN BOTH THOSE PLACES FUEL IS REGULARLY CHEAPER THAN IN TOWNSVILLE, SO THERE’S CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG

A REPORT into soaring fuel prices in Cairns could be used to help push Townsville prices down but Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole says the city needs its own investigation.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission yesterday released a regional market report into fuel prices in Cairns, with one key finding that the city lacked “a vigorous and effective competitor”.

The report and three others done in Darwin, Launceston and Armidale will now be reviewed by the ACCC to find out how their findings may apply to other regional locations, such as Townsville.

Findings from the review are expected to be released by the end of the year.

Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole felt that the Cairns finding of a lack of competition did not automatically apply to Townsville.

“I’m going to go back to the ACCC and ask them for a re- gional study into Townsville,” Ms O’Toole said. “In Townsville there are 27 to 30 service stations, there are six in Ayr and in Ingham they have four.

“In both those places fuel is regularly cheaper than in Townsville, so there’s something wrong.”

Ms O’Toole said Townsville’s high rate of unemployment and economic hardship had to be considered by the ACCC.

“The real issue of stress clearly caused by high fuel prices can have a big impact,” she said.

“We won’t be waiting until the end of the year.

“We’ll be trying to get this to happen quickly.”

RACQ head of external communications Renee Smith said they believed the report could be used to improve Townsville prices.

“I do think there are a lot of things we can apply to the Townsville market as well,” she said.

“We’re going to use that report to lobby the State Government about petrol price boards in the regions.

“It’s real time data that can be used to name and shame stations that are overcharging.

“It’s about getting rid of all the confusing discount signs that lure people into service stations.”

Ms Smith said findings from the report that Innisfail regularly had cheaper prices than Cairns were also relevant.

“We’ve seen that happen with Townsville and Ayr,” she said.

“Competition isn’t about the number of service stations, it’s about how they behave and Townsville is not competing as much as is Ayr.”