Melbourne Northern Suburbs Cop 15 to 22 Cent Petrol Price Increases Over the Weekend
Right, so if you're up in Melbourne's northern suburbs this weekend, you might've noticed your wallet getting a fair bit lighter at the servo. Here's the thing, right: we've seen some pretty substantial jumps in unleaded petrol prices across Broadmeadows, Reservoir, and surrounding areas over the last couple of days.
Let me break it down for you.
What's Happening in the North
Over in Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula, unleaded has jumped a whopping 22.7 cents, going from around 182.9 cents up to 205.6 cents per litre. That's not chicken feed, that's nearly an extra seven bucks on a 30 litre fill.
Broadmeadows has copped it too, with unleaded climbing 15.8 cents to sit at 205.7 cents. If you're running E10 up that way, it's gone up 16.3 cents to around 200.2 cents per litre. Premium 98 is sitting at 224.1 cents after a 14.2 cent rise.
Reservoir isn't doing much better. Premium 95 has jumped 18.7 cents to 207.6 cents, and Premium 98 is up 13.7 cents to 213.6 cents. Standard unleaded is following the same trend.
The Diesel Situation
Now, you'd be mad not to check out Reservoir if you're after diesel though. Despite all the petrol price drama, diesel's actually pretty competitive up there at around 178.1 cents average. Deer Park out west is sitting at 179.9 cents, and Doveton in the southeast has diesel hovering around 180.1 cents with barely any spread between servos.
Fair dinkum, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive diesel across Victoria right now is 99 cents. You've got some spots doing 151 cents while others are having a laugh at 250 cents. That's the price of a couple of coffees difference on every litre.
Where to Fill Up Smart
If you're out that way anyway, worth keeping an eye on:
Epsom near Bendigo has diesel as low as 169.1 cents, though the average is sitting at 178.6 cents. Moe out in Gippsland has some servos doing diesel at 166.9 cents, which is a solid 13 cents under the state average.
Corio near Geelong has nine servos competing, with diesel ranging from 172.9 cents up to 188.9 cents. That's worth a quick check on your phone before pulling in.
For the petrol crowd, your best bet might be heading slightly south or east to find servos that haven't jumped yet. The price cycle tends to roll through in waves, so what's expensive today in Craigieburn might be cheap next week, and vice versa.
How This Compares Nationally
Looking at the bigger picture, Victoria is actually tracking pretty close to the national average for diesel at around 189.8 cents. Western Australia is sitting at 189.3 cents after a substantial 21 cent drop overnight. Queensland motorists are still copping it the worst at 214.3 cents average for diesel.
For unleaded, these northern Melbourne price jumps are putting those suburbs above the typical Victorian average. Worth noting that Tasmania is looking pretty stable if anyone's planning a trip across the Strait, with diesel averaging 192.8 cents and only a 28 cent spread across the whole state.
What to Do About It
Look, here's my advice. If you can hold off filling up in Broadmeadows, Reservoir, or Rosebud for a few days, you might see these prices come back down. That's just how the cycle works.
If you absolutely need fuel now, check the prices on the outer suburbs. Pakenham out east, Seaford down south, and Wendouree near Ballarat often have better prices when the inner north is at its peak.
And if you're running a diesel ute or SUV, you're actually in luck right now. While petrol's gone up, diesel's staying relatively competitive across most of Victoria. Portland in the west has diesel from 171.9 cents, and regional Victoria in general is offering some solid value compared to the metro areas.
End of the day, a bit of planning means more cash in your pocket for the important stuff. Can't argue with that.
