RACV warns against Victorian Government monopolising fuel price data at the cost to competition and consumer outcomes

RACV welcomes mandatory fuel price reporting but urges the Victorian Government to share pricing data to support more Victorian motorists

RACV today announced its support for Victoria's proposed Fair Fuel Plan, subject to the data being freely available to all platforms so that fuel price data remains open and accessible through existing consumer platforms.

In a submission to the Department of Government Services, RACV endorsed the plan's goal of improving transparency and access to real-time fuel prices but stressed the critical importance of sharing this data with third-party applications that Victorians already use to find cheaper fuel.

"We strongly support mandatory fuel price reporting across Victoria, but the real benefits will only be realised if this data is made available to all platforms that help consumers save money," said RACV Head of Policy, James Williams.

"RACV's fuel finding apps already help our 2.2 million members find cheaper fuel, but we're currently missing about 25 per cent of the market because some independent retailers don't participate in voluntary reporting schemes. The Fair Fuel Plan addresses this gap."

Immediate consumer benefits through existing apps

RACV operates two fuel finding platforms – the RACV App for members and the free Arevo app – which together provide real-time fuel price comparisons updated every 15 minutes. Unlike the proposed Service Victoria platform, these apps also provide access to member fuel discounts, including up to 5c per litre savings at EG Ampol stations.

"Victorian motorists are already using our apps to save money on fuel. If the government shares its comprehensive data with us, we can deliver immediate benefits to consumers rather than asking them to download yet another app," Mr Williams said.

"The more places consumers can access this pricing data, the greater the potential savings across the community."

Victoria risks creating commercial monopoly

RACV warned that Victoria would become the only Australian state with a commercial monopoly on fuel price data if third-party access is not provided. Every other jurisdiction with mandatory fuel price reporting, including New South Wales, makes this data available through public APIs from day one.

"When New South Wales introduced fuel price transparency, they made the data feed available to third parties immediately, in line with their open data policy. Victoria should follow this proven model," Mr Williams said.

The organisation highlighted three key reasons for sharing fuel price data:

• Improved competition and consumer choice through multiple access points
• Alignment with Victorian Government's open data principles under the DataVic Access Policy
• Built-in redundancy if the Service Victoria platform experiences technical issues

RACV emphasised its commitment to working collaboratively with the Victorian Government to maximise the plan's effectiveness.

"We're ready to harness our communication channels to 2.2 million members to increase awareness of the Fair Fuel Plan. We can also provide analytical insights and engage with users through surveys to help evaluate the program's success," Mr Williams said.

"This is about partnership – the government providing comprehensive data and organisations like RACV using our established platforms and member relationships to ensure Victorian families get the maximum benefit, which comes at a crucial time when Victorians are experiencing costs of living pressures.

"We don't earn revenue from providing fuel price data – we do it to help our members and all Victorians save money. That's why open access to comprehensive government data makes so much sense.”

RACV's submission reinforces that the Fair Fuel Plan represents a milestone opportunity to increase consumer choice and competition in Victoria's fuel retail market, with the greatest benefits achieved through collaborative data sharing with existing consumer platforms.