Business lobby wants more scrutiny of Tasmania's high petrol prices
Tasmania's business lobby wants closer scrutiny of fuel prices after the competition watchdog found motorists in the island state are still paying more at the bowser than those interstate.
A report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) showed, on average, petrol prices in Hobart were 11 cents a litre higher than the five major cities in the past seven months.
The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Michael Bailey said the extra money must be going somewhere.
"Somewhere along the line someone is making money out of the Tasmanian supply chain in a way that is out of whack compared to other parts of the country, particularly metro areas," he said.
Mr Bailey called for further investigation into the matter.
"We are certainly interested in this report and looking forward to a greater review," he said.
The Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT) has received nearly 5,000 signatures on a petition calling for the ACCC to further investigate Tasmania's prices.
RACT spokesman Harvey Lennon said the motoring organisation's members wanted to know why they were being short-changed.
"Motorists in regional areas seem to be paying over the odds for their fuel," he said.
The ACCC is expected to soon choose three regional or rural areas across the country to investigate.
