Victoria Dodges the Diesel Rise as a Stawell Servo Holds Firm at 169.9
Right, so here's one I didn't see coming when I pulled up the numbers this arvo. While most of the country copped a proper diesel rise this week, Victoria has somehow ended up with the cheapest diesel average in Australia. And out in Stawell, there's a servo pumping diesel at 169.9 a litre. I had to look twice at that one. As of 2:12pm AEST on Wednesday 22nd Jul 2026, it's the cheapest diesel price in the whole state.
Now before anyone asks what a Western Sydney sparky is doing banging on about Victoria, fair question. But when the fresh data landed this afternoon, the story down south was too good to ignore, especially once you see what happened everywhere else overnight.
Most states copped it, Victoria didn't
Western Australia diesel went up 21.8 cents in a single day, from 199.9 to a state average of 221.7. That's nearly an 11 per cent rise while most of us were asleep. NSW wasn't far behind, up 11.4 cents to 218.7. I copped that one myself at the bowser this morning, and half the blokes on site were whingeing about it before the first coffee went down.
Victoria went up 0.6 of a cent. That's it. The state average is sitting at 217.6, which right now makes it the cheapest diesel in the country. Cheaper than NSW at 218.7, cheaper than South Australia at 219.2, cheaper than Queensland at 219.3, and a decent way under WA at 221.7. The Northern Territory is doing it toughest at 264.5, though that's hardly news to anyone up that way.
Here's the thing, right. Victoria didn't win this by getting cheaper. Everyone else got dearer, and standing still was enough to top the table.
Stawell is the one to watch
State averages only ever tell you half the story. The real action is at the suburb level, and Stawell in western Victoria is the standout in the whole country today.
The town has four servos reporting diesel, and the spread between them is fair dinkum ridiculous. The cheapest is pumping at 169.9 while the dearest is asking 216.9. That's 47 cents a litre between servos in the same town. Fill a 60 litre ute tank at the cheap one and you keep about $28 in your pocket compared to the dear one. That's a pub feed and a schooner, just for picking the right driveway.
If you're anywhere near Stawell, or passing through on the highway between Melbourne and Adelaide, you'd be mad not to plan your fill around it. Prices like that don't usually hang around once word gets out.
Portland and Seaford worth a look too
Portland, down on the state's southwest coast, is one of the few places left in Victoria where diesel still starts under two bucks. The cheapest servo there is at 199.2, with the town average at 207.6. That's a full 10 cents under the state average, which is decent going for a regional town.
Closer to Melbourne, Seaford down Frankston way is holding an average of 207.5 across six servos, with the cheapest at 202.5 and the dearest at 213.9. Even within the one suburb it pays to check before you commit. Thirty seconds on the phone beats paying 11 cents a litre more than you need to.
What it means for you
If you run a diesel ute, van or SUV in Victoria, this is your window. When other states cop a rise like WA and NSW just did, it tends to wash through to everyone eventually. Nobody can promise when, but if you're sitting on half a tank this week, topping up now rather than next week is probably the smart play.
Have a squiz at the live diesel prices before you head out, because the gap between servos right now is worth real money. And if you want to see how your suburb has been tracking over the past month, the price trends page will show you whether your local is doing the right thing or quietly taking the mick.
Look, end of the day, Victoria is sitting on the cheapest diesel in the country and most people down there probably don't even know it. A bit of planning this week means more cash in your pocket for the important stuff. Can't argue with that.
