A new fuel price monitoring trial will roll out across Queensland.
Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham said a working group would be established to oversee the implementation of the system.
“The two-year trial will ensure that more current data is available to motorists and will not disadvantage small independent retailers,” he said.
There have been previous calls for real-time monitoring of fuel prices by the Liberal National Party (LNP), who have said they would introduce the policy if they won the 2020 state election.
Mr Lynham said fuel retailers would be required to publish all updated prices online within minutes of it changing.
“The system will be required to have inbuilt safeguards against retailers price fixing and not inflict unnecessary red tape,” he said.
Mr Lynham said the QLD government has been studying reports by the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) and Griffith University on fuel price monitoring and said the Labour Party was concerned about the LNP’s proposal.
“Their proposal, which has only surfaced of late, after years of inactivity, including when they were in government, is an expensive airy-fairy scheme, based on limited information,” he said.
“Our proposal is supported by a Griffith University study of petrol pricing, monitoring schemes, in NSW and the Northern Territory.
“In regional Queensland such a scheme will have either negative or upward impact on the average monthly retail unleaded fuel prices.
“You can only take advantage of the cheapest prices if you know where to go – this real-time system will deliver that to motorists.”