The Minns Labor Government will inject $2.2 million to upgrade FuelCheck and help the people of NSW manage cost-of-living pressures as compliance activity ramps up.
FuelCheck is the NSW Government's real-time fuel price transparency tool and provides motorists with instant access to prices from around 2,400 service stations across the state. It puts power back in the hands of consumers by exposing price hikes and ending guesswork at the bowser.
At a time, when the conflict in the Middle East is disrupting global fuel supply and driving up prices, transparency and compliance in pricing strategies is an important cost-of-living relief measure for communities.
The funding will pay for upgrades including:
- Better data collection from fuel retailers, such as making it easier for retailers to enter details about fuel supply.
- Better data analysis to help Government respond to the fuel crisis.
- Design updates for a better user experience.
FuelCheck has become even more essential to NSW drivers during the current fuel supply challenges. Daily visits to the app and website were between 8,000 and 10,000 in January, but by the end of March 2026, this has risen to around 500,000 each day
This is the latest boost to the Government's efforts to better support NSW's fuel supply response.
Over the last fortnight, the Government fast-tracked a statewide fuel price compliance blitz to strengthen fuel price transparency and protect motorists from misleading pricing.
Around 75 per cent of stations in NSW were inspected by the beginning of April, with around half located outside Sydney. Inspectors have carried out just under 1,800 service station inspections across the whole state during this period, issuing 93 penalty infringement notices.
Retailers who break the rules face serious consequences, including on-the-spot fines of $1,100, or Court penalties of up to $22,000 for individuals and $110,000 for corporations.
This strong enforcement action joins NSW Fair Trading's latest efforts to better incorporate customer feedback in compliance activities and support the ACCC's crackdown on price gouging.
To ensure businesses are properly passing on the cost savings promised by the Federal Government's fuel excise reduction, consumers are urged to stay vigilant and report fuel price issues via FuelCheck or the NSW Fair Trading website.
This includes mismatches between bowser prices and FuelCheck listings, as well as suspected price exploitation following the fuel excise cuts.
Consumer reports are already directly supporting compliance activity, with NSW Fair Trading issuing 24 user intelligence-based fines this week alone. Consumer feedback strengthens NSW Fair Trading's compliance work, allowing inspectors to identify issues faster and take action sooner.
NSW Fair Trading will continue to have boots on the ground from the Central Coast to the Central West over the Easter Long Weekend to ensure fuel retailers do the right thing and that motorists are not misled when filling up.
NSW Fair Trading is continuously updating its targets for inspection based on consumer complaints, intelligence and the changing conditions in the marketplace to ensure the most effective compliance response.
The Government has developed a robust inspection forward plan and expects to physically inspect the majority of NSW's service stations in the coming weeks. As the program progresses, regional areas will remain a key target.
NSW Fair Trading continues to work closely with the ACCC, including by sharing data, to uphold strong consumer protection standards.
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:
"Over the past two weeks, millions of NSW motorists have turned to FuelCheck to help find the best fuel price and navigate fuel supply gaps.
"This funding will allow us to make FuelCheck better for the hundreds of thousands of people who use it daily - through better data collection, stronger analysis, and streamlined user experience.
"These are uncertain times, but we want the people of New South Wales to have the utmost confidence in the real-time price transparency data provided by FuelCheck.
"Because when it comes to the cost-of-living, the Minns Labor Government's message is clear: transparency, accountability and fairness matter."
