Petrol prices fall as diesel rises despite excise cut

The pump price of petrol has fallen from record highs by an average of 13.3 cents per litre across Australia over the past week, but diesel prices have continued to rise.

The Australian Institute of Petroleum (AIP) reports the national average price of petrol for the week ending on Easter Sunday (April 5) was 240.1cpl, down from 253.4cpl the previous week.

Across capital cities, the average petrol price fell by 14.9cpl, from a record 252.9cpl to 238.3cpl.

The drop follows the federal government’s fuel excise cut, which took effect on April 1 and reduced the tax by 26.3cpl. A further 5.7cpl reduction was announced by states and territories on April 2.

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However, diesel prices have continued to increase. The national average rose from 310.0cpl to 312.7cpl over the same period.

In metropolitan areas, diesel prices climbed by 1.6cpl to 310.3cpl, while regional areas recorded a larger increase of 3.5cpl, pushing the national regional average to 314.6cpl.

The federal government has also paused the heavy vehicle road user charge – previously 32.4cpl — for vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) above 4.5 tonnes until June 30, 2026.

Fuel availability has improved, with the number of service stations without petrol or diesel falling from more than 800 sites to fewer than 600 last week, according to The Guardian.