Queensland Unleaded Prices Jump Double Digits in Regional Towns While the Gold Coast Cops a Sneaky [E10](/fuel/e10) Hit
Right, so if you're filling up anywhere in regional Queensland this week, you might want to sit down before you look at the bowser. Unleaded prices have jumped double digits in a handful of towns, and the moves are big enough that you'd notice them on your weekly grocery bill.
Here's the thing, right. Biloela unleaded has gone up 13.5 cents to 243.0 cents a litre. That's not a small nudge. For a 60 litre tank, you're looking at an extra eight bucks compared to last week. Down the road in Gin Gin, unleaded has climbed 10.1 cents to 240.0 cents. These aren't massive towns either, so it's not like the locals have a dozen servos to pick from. You cop what you cop.
But the one that really caught my eye was Pimpama on the Gold Coast. E10 has jumped a whopping 19.6 cents to 219.5 cents a litre. Now, E10 is supposed to be the budget option. That's the whole point of running it. When your budget fuel goes up nearly 20 cents overnight, something's not right. Brisbane E10 was sitting under two dollars a litre just last week, so seeing Gold Coast suburbs cop that kind of increase is worth paying attention to.
Further north, the story gets worse. Dalby out on the Darling Downs has seen diesel climb 10.9 cents to 314.6 cents. Premium 98 there is up 9.7 cents to 250.6 cents as well. So if you're running a ute on diesel or filling up the performance car with 98, Dalby is hitting you from both sides.
Mareeba up in Far North Queensland is sitting at 314.1 cents for diesel, up 10.6 cents. And Tully, between Cairns and Townsville, has seen diesel jump 9.7 cents to 311.2 cents. For the farmers and tradies running diesel up north, that's real money adding up week after week.
Now, you'd be mad not to check what's happening closer to the coast. Bundaberg diesel is sitting at a more reasonable 297.5 cents at the cheapest servo, which is a fair bit under the state average of 312.6 cents. If you're passing through, worth topping up.
The state average for diesel has climbed 4.1 cents to 312.6 cents across 1,013 stations. The spread across Queensland tells the real story though. You can find diesel as low as 205.0 cents if you know where to look, but some servos are charging 350.0 cents. That's a 145 cent gap between the cheapest and most expensive diesel in the same state. Fair dinkum, the difference between filling up at the right servo versus the wrong one could save you nearly ninety dollars on a full tank for a big diesel ute.
Down on the Gold Coast, Nerang has diesel averaging 303.4 cents with a 10 cent spread between servos. Not bad compared to what the regional towns are dealing with. Beaudesert just south of Brisbane is tighter still at 305.4 cents average with barely a dollar between the cheapest and dearest.
Out west, Drayton near Toowoomba is sitting at 302.8 cents average for diesel, which makes it one of the better options if you're heading inland.
Worth keeping an eye on is Thargomindah way out west, where the cheapest diesel is 223.0 cents but the most expensive is 333.2 cents. That's a 110 cent spread in one tiny town. Someone's doing the right thing by locals, and someone else is absolutely taking the mick.
The pattern across the state is clear. Coastal and metro areas are holding relatively steady, but regional and remote towns are wearing the brunt of these increases. If you're planning a road trip through regional QLD, fill up before you leave the coast. The further you get from Brisbane, the more you'll pay, and this week the gap has gotten wider.
Look, end of the day, a bit of planning means more cash in your pocket for the important stuff. Check prices before you head out, fill up where it's cheap, and don't get caught short in a town with one servo and no competition. Can't argue with that.
