Two Port Macquarie Servos 212 Metres Apart Changed E10 29 Times Since 5 October. The Highway BP Moved 3
At 8:00am AEDT on Friday 6th Nov 2026, E10 at Mobil Hastings River in Port Macquarie cost 229.5. The Ampol Foodary, 212 metres along Hastings River Drive, had it at 230.9. Out at the corner of the Pacific and Oxley Highways, BP Gateway was on 249.5 for E10 at its last reading on Thursday morning, 20 cents above this morning's Mobil price.
The difference comes down to how often each servo changes its price, and how close its nearest rival is.
A month of moves on one short stretch of road
Official NSW FuelCheck data shows the Ampol Foodary has changed its E10 price at least 19 times since 5 October, and the Mobil at least 10. That's 29 moves between two servos you could walk between in three minutes. BP Gateway changed its E10 price three times over the same period.
Apart from half an hour on the morning of 26 October, the two have stayed within 2.1 cents of each other at every reading since 7 October. That morning the Ampol Foodary had cut E10 to 227.4 by 6:00am, and by 6:30am the Mobil was on 227.3, a tenth of a cent under. By 7:30am the Ampol Foodary was back up at 229.4, and the next morning the Mobil settled on 229.3, again a tenth under.
On Thursday it happened again: Ampol Foodary 228.9 by 7:30am, Mobil 228.5 by 9:00am, Ampol Foodary 228.4 by noon. This morning both lifted, the Mobil to 229.5 and the Ampol Foodary to 230.9.
Why do neighbours behave like this?
Think of it this way. Two stalls sit side by side at a farmers market, selling identical strawberries. Shoppers see both signs at once, so even a small difference sends most of them to the lower priced stall. Each seller is tempted to sit just under the other, and a 0.1 cent undercut is the servo version of that. When comparing prices costs the customer nothing, tiny gaps move a lot of business.
The cutting can't go on forever. Eventually one servo decides the margin is too thin and lifts, the other follows, and the round starts again, so the pair's prices go up and down all month.
Not every pair of neighbours fights
Across town, Mobil Ocean Drive and the Independent on Gordon Street are just 72 metres apart, yet each has changed its unleaded price only three times since 5 October. Their moves mirror each other. Both went from 232.9 to 238.9 on 8 October, and both have sat on 231.9 since the Independent cut at noon on 24 October and the Mobil followed by 6am on 26 October.
So why does this pair match while the Hastings River Drive pair undercuts? The key factor here is expectations. If each servo expects the other to match any cut within a day, a cut wins no extra customers and simply lowers both margins, so prices sit still.
Whichever way a pair plays it, motorists near a close rival do well. These four servos hold the three lowest unleaded prices and the three lowest E10 prices in town.
The highway premium
BP Gateway's nearest rival is 6.2 kilometres away, and many of its customers are Pacific Highway travellers. Economists call the time and effort of finding a better deal a search cost. For a local who knows the prices, a 20 cent gap is worth about $10 on a 50 litre tank. Someone passing through would have to leave the highway and search unfamiliar streets to find a cheaper servo, so many simply fill up there. BP Gateway's unleaded was 249.9 at that Thursday reading, while Mobil Hastings River was on 231.5 this morning.
It isn't a perfect rule. Shelly Beach Store and Plaza Petroleum are each about 2.4 kilometres from their nearest rival, yet they sit at 238.9 and 239.9 for unleaded, close to the town median of 239.8 across 11 servos.
How Port Macquarie compares
Across 115 Mid North Coast servos listing unleaded this morning, from Bulahdelah to Woolgoolga, the median was 239.9. Only Fuel Plus Harrington, on 229.9, sat below Mobil Hastings River's 231.5. For E10, the Hastings River Drive pair and Mobil Ocean Drive (229.9) took the three places behind Harrington at 227.9.
Where to fill up
In Port Macquarie, the lowest E10 prices and unleaded petrol prices cluster where servos can see each other's signs. If you're travelling the highway, a short detour into town can save around $10 a tank. Most of the pair's changes show up in our early morning readings, so read our guide to the best time to fill up and check the interactive fuel map or the NSW page before you head out.