South Australia Fines Petrol Stations Nearly $20,000 in Statewide Blitz, Urges Drivers to Check Prices

ADELAIDE — South Australian drivers are being urged to use real-time fuel price apps to save money at the bowser after a statewide compliance blitz saw nearly $20,000 in fines issued to petrol stations for inaccurate pricing, the state government announced this week.

The reminder comes as the full fuel excise returned to its usual level on July 1, adding further pressure to household budgets and making it increasingly important for motorists to compare prices before filling up. Since conflict in the Middle East began earlier this year, inspectors from Consumer and Business Services have carried out more than 1,000 fuel price inspections across metropolitan and regional South Australia to ensure petrol stations are complying with the state's real-time fuel pricing laws.

The inspections have resulted in 29 expiation notices being issued to service stations, with nearly $20,000 in fines handed out for failing to correctly report fuel prices or list fuel as unavailable when it was not. A further 24 warning letters have also been issued to retailers found to be non-compliant during the ongoing enforcement effort.

Under South Australia's real-time fuel pricing scheme, retailers are required to update a central database within 30 minutes whenever prices change or fuel becomes unavailable at the pump. That information is then made publicly available through a range of free fuel price comparison apps, allowing motorists to check prices across nearby service stations before deciding where to fill up.

Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Michael Brown said the timing of the reminder was particularly important given the return of the full fuel excise. "With the fuel excise now back at its usual level, make sure you are getting the best priced fuel by using the fuel watch apps," Brown said. He added that the government remains committed to holding non-compliant retailers accountable. "The Malinauskas Government is cracking down on petrol stations who fail to comply with our real-time petrol price monitoring and South Australians can save more than $100 a year on fuel through our Fuel Watch initiative."

Wednesday's update builds on a series of earlier enforcement actions the state government has taken throughout 2026 as part of its broader crackdown on fuel pricing compliance. An April compliance blitz saw more than 500 inspections carried out across the state, resulting in nine service stations fined nearly $8,000 at the time, with a further 11 sites placed under investigation. Those fined in that earlier round included stations across both regional and metropolitan areas, among them Coober Pedy, Bordertown, Strathalbyn, Renmark, Berri, Karoonda, Goodwood and Park Holme. At the time, Brown said the government was taking a "zero-tolerance approach" to non-compliance, adding that the government intended to "name and shame those who fail to meet their obligations."

A separate compliance blitz conducted ahead of a long weekend in early June saw more than 200 additional inspections carried out across Adelaide, the West Coast, Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, the Riverland and the Limestone Coast. Cumulatively, since the Middle East conflict began earlier this year, Consumer and Business Services has investigated nearly 400 complaints and conducted around 800 service station inspections, resulting in 22 fines totaling more than $12,000 and 18 written warnings, according to figures the government released in early June, ahead of the more recent enforcement figures announced this week.

To strengthen its enforcement capabilities, the South Australian government has passed new legislation significantly increasing penalties for non-compliant fuel retailers. The Fair Trading (Fuel Pricing Information Penalties) Amendment Bill became the first law to pass through the state's Parliament this session, with the changes set to take effect later this month. Under the new penalty structure, on-the-spot expiation fines for breaches will jump from $550 to $5,000 per offense, while the maximum penalty a court can impose will double from $10,000 to $20,000. Premier Peter Malinauskas said at the time the legislation passed that petrol stations failing to comply "will face the consequences," which now include penalties of up to $20,000 per offense.

The government has also committed additional resources to enforcement, funding an extra 100 inspections per month as part of a $1.2 million election commitment, with recruitment currently underway for additional Consumer and Business Services inspectors to expand the program's reach across the state. Brown reiterated that the increased enforcement reflects a campaign promise made ahead of the government's election. "The government is delivering on our election commitment to make sure petrol stations do the right thing by South Australian motorists with higher penalties and more inspections across the state," Brown said.

According to the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia, motorists who consistently use real-time fuel pricing apps to compare prices before filling up can save an average of $117 a year based on typical fuel consumption patterns. Extrapolated across the broader South Australian driving population, those individual savings are estimated to total approximately $58 million annually if more drivers made consistent use of the available pricing tools.

Drivers looking to take advantage of the real-time pricing scheme can compare fuel prices using a range of free apps, including the RAA app, which provides both pricing and availability information, along with Petrol Spy, Motor Mouth, SA Bowser: Should I Fuel? and ServoTrack, all of which are available for download through the App Store or Google Play.

With the fuel excise back at its full rate and global oil prices remaining volatile amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, South Australian officials have continued to emphasize that accurate, real-time price reporting plays a critical role in helping motorists manage rising transportation costs. As the state's compliance program continues to expand, with tougher penalties set to take effect later this month, officials say they expect the threat of significantly higher fines to further deter non-compliant behavior among the state's fuel retailers, while consumer advocates continue to encourage drivers to make regular use of the available comparison tools to secure the best possible prices at the pump.