The Minns Labor Government is introducing legislation this week to crack down on service stations not playing by the rules when it comes to helping motorists find the best petrol prices.
The proposed laws will create new offences and increase penalties for service stations that fail to report accurate fuel prices and availability through the NSW Government's FuelCheck system.
The Fair Trading (FuelCheck) Amendment Bill 2026 ("the Bill") will extend NSW Fair Trading's powers by making it an offence for a service station or fuel retailer to:
- Fail to report a price for fuel.
- Fail to notify if a type of fuel becomes unavailable.
In March, regulations were updated to make it mandatory for service stations to report on FuelCheck if any type of fuel became unavailable.
Service stations which fail to meet their obligations will now face significantly larger penalties. On the spot fines will double to $1,100 for individuals and triple for companies to $3,300. If the same station reoffends within 12 months, the on-the-spot fines will rise sharply to $5,500 for individuals and $11,000 for companies.
Courts will also be empowered to impose stronger penalties, with maximum fines increasing to $55,000 for individuals while fines of up to $110,000 will continue to apply for companies.
While these changes are focused on protecting motorists, they will also support the Government's fuel security response by ensuring service stations are providing accurate and timely information on fuel pricing and availability.
FuelCheck is the NSW Government's real-time fuel price transparency tool putting power back in the hands of motorists by providing them with instant access to prices from around 2,400 service stations across the state.
Between March 1 and April 30, the FuelCheck app and website have been visited a total of 22,458,877 times.
NSW Fair Trading has now completed over 3,700 field inspections and re-inspections of service stations around the state, issuing around 230 fines.
This is all part of the Minns Labor Government's commitment to improving fuel transparency in NSW by:
- Investing $2.2 million to upgrade and maintain FuelCheck.
- Conducting record numbers of fuel transparency compliance inspections and re-inspections.
- Encouraging consumers to report fuel prices via FuelCheck or the NSW Fair Trading website.
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said:
"We know that fair pricing starts with fair behaviour at the bowser.
"My message to service stations since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East has been clear: do the wrong thing and you will be caught.
"Now, the Minns Labor Government is hitting these service stations where it hurts by tripling fines and mandating new reporting requirements to deliver on our promise of ensuring transparent fuel prices for the people of NSW.
"These changes, coupled with our inspection program, are all about deterring service stations from taking motorists for a ride."
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann said:
"When families pull up for fuel, they deserve clear and accurate information. These changes are about making sure FuelCheck works for everyone.
"Recent fuel shortages have shown why clear information matters. These changes make sure motorists can trust the information they use to decide where to fill up.
"To support service stations doing the right thing, the FuelCheck app has been simplified, making it easier than ever for service stations to update information quickly.
"NSW Fair Trading continues with its strong statewide compliance blitz, bolstered by the community-led reporting through Bowser Busters."
