RACV has thrown its support behind Victoria’s proposed Fair Fuel Plan but is urging the government to keep the data open to all platforms, warning that a closed approach would stifle competition and limit savings for everyday motorists.
The motoring organisation says it’s on board with mandatory fuel price reporting, which the state government is planning to roll out. But there’s a catch—it wants the government to make the pricing information freely available to existing apps and services, not just the upcoming Service Victoria platform.
RACV Head of Policy, James Williams, said the public stands to gain from transparent pricing—but only if the data isn’t locked behind a government app.
“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,” Mr Williams said.
The RACV already operates two apps—its member app and Arevo—which deliver real-time fuel price updates every 15 minutes. These tools are already used by thousands across the state to find cheaper petrol and tap into discounts of up to five cents a litre at EG Ampol stations. But at present, Williams says, those tools don’t show a full picture.
“We’re currently missing about 25 per cent of the market because some independent retailers don’t participate in voluntary schemes. The Fair Fuel Plan addresses this gap,” he said.
RACV’s core concern isn’t with the plan itself, but with how the data will be distributed. Without an open feed, they say, the government risks creating a monopoly—a first in Australia.
“Victoria would become the only Australian state with a commercial monopoly on fuel price data if third-party access is not provided,” Mr Williams warned.
He pointed to New South Wales as an example worth following. “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.”
The submission from RACV laid out three main reasons why fuel price data should be shared more broadly: it would improve competition, align with Victoria’s own DataVic Access Policy, and provide a failsafe in case the new government app runs into technical hiccups.
The RACV isn’t looking to make money from this, Williams said. “We don’t earn revenue from providing fuel price data–we do it to help our members and all Victorians save money.”
He also argued that the government’s own plan would be stronger through cooperation. With 2.2 million members, RACV says it can spread the word faster and more effectively than starting from scratch.
“We’re ready to harness our communication channels 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,” Williams said.
He framed it as a partnership: the government supplies the data, and RACV helps get it to the people who need it—motorists juggling rising fuel costs in the middle of a cost-of-living crunch.
The ball is now in the government’s court. If it chooses to restrict access, Victoria will stand alone among Australian states in fencing off fuel data. If it opens up the feed, RACV says, everyone wins.
As Williams put it plainly: “The more places consumers can access this pricing data, the greater the potential savings across the community.”
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