Northern Territory Diesel Hits 399 Cents at Some Servos While Suburbs Across Australia Sit Under 165
Right, so here's something that'll do your head in. The Northern Territory currently has the cheapest diesel in the country at 150 cents a litre AND the most expensive at a fair dinkum 399 cents. That's a 249 cent spread in the same state. Think about that for a sec. You could fill up your ute for under $1.50 a litre at one servo, drive a few hours down the road, and cop a price that's nearly four dollars. Same state, same fuel, same week.
Now look, I reckon most of us down in Sydney or Melbourne don't think too much about what our mates in the Territory are paying. But the numbers this week are worth a yarn about, because they put our own prices into perspective.
The NT average for diesel right now is sitting at 235.7 cents a litre. That's the highest state average in the country by a long stretch. For context, Victoria is averaging 180.8, Western Australia is at 181.5, and New South Wales is at 182.4. Even Tasmania at 185.8 looks reasonable next to the Territory.
Katherine Doing the Right Thing
Here's the thing, right. The NT average gets absolutely smashed by remote roadhouse pricing. Those 399 cent servos are out in the middle of nowhere, where a fuel truck has to drive for hours just to make a delivery. Fair enough, there's a cost to that.
But Katherine, which is a proper town about three hours south of Darwin, is averaging just 174 cents for diesel across four servos. The cheapest there is 171.5. That's genuinely competitive with suburbs across the rest of Australia. If you're doing the trip through the Top End, you'd be mad not to fill up there.
Where to Find the Cheapest Diesel Right Now
If you're chasing the best diesel prices this weekend, here's where you wanna be looking.
Down in Western Australia, suburbs like Baldivis have diesel from 159.7 cents, Kwinana Beach from 161.3, and Forrestfield from 161.9. Forrestdale has it from 159.9 and Naval Base from 163.5. That whole southern Perth corridor is absolutely killing it for diesel right now.
Over in New South Wales, my neck of the woods, Smithfield is averaging 165.6 with a low of 162.5. Fairfield is similar at 162.5, and Granville is sitting at 164.5. If you're anywhere in western Sydney, these are your go to spots.
Victoria has some cracking prices too. Ballarat has diesel from 159.3 cents, which is as cheap as anywhere in the country. Deer Park is at 164.5 and Doveton is averaging 170.7. Even Thomastown up in the northern suburbs has a low of 165.9.
NSW Diesel Copped a Hit This Week
Now, I should mention that NSW diesel jumped 7.5 cents overnight to an average of 182.4 cents. That's a 4.3 percent increase, which is not a small move. The state average is being dragged up by some servos charging as high as 269.9 cents out in regional areas. But as I mentioned, the western Sydney suburbs are still well under the average, so it pays to shop around.
Port Kembla down on the South Coast is worth a mention too, averaging 168.4 with a cheapest price of 161.5. And Ingleburn has it from 159.5, which is among the cheapest in the state.
The Bottom Line
Look, end of the day, where you live makes a massive difference to what you're paying for fuel. Someone in Katherine at 174 cents is paying less than the average across NSW at 182.4. But someone at a remote NT roadhouse is paying 399 cents, which works out to about $80 just to fill a 20 litre jerry can. That's more than some people pay for a whole tank down in Ballarat.
If you're planning a road trip up through the Territory, fill up at every major town. Don't wait until the tank's half empty hoping the next servo will be cheaper, because it probably won't be. And for the rest of us, there are plenty of suburbs across the country where diesel is sitting under 165 cents right now. Worth keeping an eye on your local prices and filling up when you see a good deal. Can't argue with that.
