State government cracks down on inaccurate fuel pricing

A surge in reports from NSW motorists is driving a sharp increase in fines for service stations, as the state government ramps up its crackdown on inaccurate fuel pricing.

The state government’s new “Bowser Busters” initiative, launched less than two weeks ago, is already having a significant impact, with consumer reports helping authorities detect and penalise breaches more quickly.

Since March 18, NSW Fair Trading has conducted more than 2300 field inspections and re-inspections across roughly 90 per cent of the state, issuing over 140 Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs). About 90 of those were handed out directly by inspectors for issues including price mismatches, failure to meet information requirements, and not being registered with the state’s fuel price monitoring system, FuelCheck.

Motorists themselves are playing an increasingly central role. Reports submitted through FuelCheck have led to a further 57 PINs since March 30, including 56 for price mismatching and one for a station not registered with the platform. The government says the initiative has already doubled enforcement outcomes for price discrepancies.

Authorities say the added community oversight is allowing inspectors to spend less time travelling and more time taking action, improving compliance and reducing repeat offences.

FuelCheck remains a key part of the program, with around 350,000 users accessing the platform daily to compare prices and availability, and to ensure advertised prices match those at the pump.

Penalties for non-compliant retailers include on-the-spot fines of $1100, with court-imposed penalties reaching up to $110,000 depending on the offence.

Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said the initiative comes at a time when households are under increasing financial pressure.

“The Minns Labor government knows families are feeling the pressure with petrol prices adding to the cost of living during these uncertain times,” he said.

“Our NSW Fair Trading inspectors are out on the ground every day checking service stations are not charging more at the pump than the price they put on FuelCheck.

“With Bowser Busters we have over five million motorists backing our inspectors on every street and road across the state.

“Misleading motorists is never acceptable, and Bowser Busters has supercharged our crackdown on inaccurate pricing.

“Our message to service stations is simple: do the wrong thing and you will be caught.”

NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann said the early results highlight the impact of collaboration between the public, industry and regulators.

“This milestone shows what’s possible when motorists, industry and government all work together for the same goal of transparency at the bowser, especially at a time when every dollar counts for families,” she said.

“Our Bowser Busters are making a real difference by using FuelCheck to stay informed and speak up when something doesn’t look right, proving fairness works best when everyone takes part.

“I want to thank the many service station operators who are doing the right thing every day, updating prices accurately and working constructively with inspectors to keep fuel pricing fair.”

Compliance inspections are continuing seven days a week, with authorities targeting areas showing unusual or misleading pricing behaviour as the crackdown intensifies.