Price Lock for Fuel at NSW Service Stations
Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026
Opposition BillLegislative Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Topics
consumer protection electric vehicle charging fuel prices petrol and diesel price caps service stations
Introduced by: Tim James MP (LIB)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Julia Finn ALP
“Before my contribution to debate on the Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026 was interrupted for question time, I was discussing the FuelCheck app. FuelCheck was an important innovation of the previous Government that this Government has sought to strengthen.”
Steph Cooke NAT
“I contribute to debate on the Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026. Diesel in Barellan this morning was 296.9¢ per litre. That is extraordinary. Across the Cootamundra electorate, prices are once again climbing towards the levels we saw in March this year.”
Karen McKeown ALP
“I speak in opposition to the Fair Trading Amendment (24‑Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026. When families are under real cost-of-living pressures, this House should deal in solutions, not slogans. The bill offers the appearance of action, but behind the headline is a model that does not guarantee cheaper fuel and could in fact leave motorists paying more.”
Jenny Leong GRN
“On behalf of The Greens, I contribute to debate on the Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026. The Greens do not support the bill. The bill seeks to amend the Fair Trading Act 1987 to require fuel retailers to notify the secretary of Fair Trading of the maximum fuel price that they will charge the next day.”
Sally Quinnell ALP
“I speak against the Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026. What concerns me about the bill is the capacity of service stations to lock in the highest possible price to hurt consumers. People in the community are hurting due to the cost of living.”
Marjorie O'Neill ALP
“I speak in opposition to the Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026. It is my understanding that the Opposition has modelled this legislation on Victoria’s. I have to say, from the outset, that there is no evidence that Victoria’s model has resulted in lower fuel prices. Members opposite may want to go back to the drawing board when thinking about policy reform.”
Paul Scully ALP
“I join the member for Coogee and other Government members in opposing the Fair Trading Amendment (24‑Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026. I think people deserve an explanation as to why.”
Nathan Hagarty ALP
“I speak against the Fair Trading Amendment (24‑Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026. At first glance the bill sounds appealing. I note the Minister’s contribution about simplistic and simple answers. On the surface this looks like a good idea.”
Tim James LIB
“I do want to thank the members representing the electorates of Albury, Liverpool, Davidson, Gosford, Northern Tablelands, Granville, Cootamundra, Penrith, Newtown, Camden, Coogee, Wollongong and—with a high degree of reluctance—Leppington for their contributions to the debate on Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026, some of which were at a very low bar and were drone-like in …”
News articles and press releases
Fair Trading Amendment (24-Hour Fuel Price Lock) Bill 2026
Mr TIM JAMES, Member for Willoughby — 2026-05-07
Fuel retailers will need to notify a maximum price for the following day, and that price will then be locked in for that 24-hour period. A retailer can sell below that price but not above it. This will end price shocks on a given day at the bowser. In other words, if a service station says that tomorrow the price for a particular fuel will be a certain amount, that price must be honoured for that day. This is a modest, practical and consumer-focused reform that will make a real difference for motorists. It means motorists will be able to check the price in advance, compare prices between different service stations, choose where they want to buy their fuel and have confidence that the price will still be there when they arrive. It will help people make informed decisions.