'No justification' for Maitland petrol prices to be so high: NRMA president Kyle Loades

It comes after petrol prices jumped across the state in the past week.

In the Lower Hunter, questions have been raised as to reason behind the price hike.

In Maitland on Monday, the price of e10 unleaded ranged from 140.3c/l, at United in Central Maitland, to 144.9c/l, at Coles Express in Rutherford. Only 30km down the road, at the Metro service station in Bellbird, e10 was being sold for 123.9c/l. The most expensive fuel in Cessnock was at Lowes, where e10 cost motorists 144.9c/l.

Meanwhile, the price of e10 unleaded in Newcastle ranged between 127.7c/l, at 7 Eleven in Wickham, to 144.9c/l at the Coles Express service stations at Merewether and Broadmeadow.

In Maitland on Friday, e10 was as low as 112.9c/l at Thornton, while the price was up around the 140c/l mark in Central Maitland and Rutherford.

The average for regular unleaded in Maitland was 141c/l while the average in Newcastle was 137.8c/l.

NRMA president Kyle Loades said there was no justification for Maitland’s average being higher than Newcastle’s.

He said the wholesale price for unleaded fuel – the price that service stations pay for the product – had jumped almost 10c/l to just under 120c/l in recent weeks.

Mr Loades said some service station operators had hidden behind this wholesale rise to increase their prices more than necessary.

“In our view, around 130c/l or under is good buying,” he said.

“Anyone selling for 140c/l is really making a lot more profit than we believe they should be. There’s no justification as to why Maitland pricing is higher than Newcastle pricing – none at all.

“Overall, people are charging well above the wholesale. There’s no doubt that some petrol stations have taken advantage of it and, in fact, have increased more than what the wholesale price increase is.”