Karen Collier
Herald Sun
May 04, 2012
FEDERAL petrol commissioner Joe Dimasi has announced a formal petrol investigation amid fears price sharing between retailers could be hurting drivers.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is concerned price sharing via a computer system could be reducing competition.
The probe follows continued disquiet Mr Dimasi was not doing enough to protect motorists.
The ACCC believes the price-sharing arrangements – via a database or system run by market intelligence company Informed Sources – could breach the Competition and Consumer Act, which bans anti-competitive behaviour.
“The ACCC has put the industry on notice for some time,” Mr Dimasi said.
RACV public policy general manager Brian Negus hoped the inquiry would result in a level playing field where motorists got access to the same real-time price information as companies.
Informed Sources spokesman Tim Rankin said the company’s services were misunderstood and actually helped competition. “We are very supportive of this investigation … and are happy to assist the commission however we can,” Mr Rankin said.
Coles spokesman Jon Church said the company would co-operate fully to “demonstrate our commitment to providing Coles Express customers with competitively priced fuel”.
The ACCC has repeatedly failed to find evidence of collusion in Australia’s fuel industry.
No timeline for the investigation was given.
– with Wes Hosking
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