IPSWICH motorists are feeling the pinch as fuel prices surge towards $3 a litre, with families and businesses bracing for further cost-of-living pressures after a proposal to cap daily price rises was voted down in State Parliament.
Although the Federal Government stepped in on Monday, halving the fuel excise for three months to lower the price of petrol by 26.3 cents per litre, fears remain.
“We’re making fuel cheaper today because we understand that Australians are under serious pressure,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters at Parliament House in Canberra.
As of Monday night, the highest price in the Ipswich region was $2.59 a litre, while the lowest was $2.54.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has called for greater national transparency on fuel supply, urging the Federal Government to implement a real-time monitoring system.
“On behalf of Queenslanders and Australians, we have been clear with the Federal Government,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“We want a National Dashboard with clear, consistent information on fuel flow across the country, delivered at the same time each day. Australians need coordinated, consistent, and clear information during this crisis.”
But on the local front, State Member for Ipswich West Wendy Bourne criticised the State Government for inaction, saying Queenslanders are being left behind as other states step in to ease the burden.
“While every state is working with the Commonwealth through the National Fuel Supply Taskforce, the Premier has said there is nothing his government can do to help,” Ms Bourne said.
“Tasmania has introduced a bill to enable fuel price caps, New South Wales has expanded real-time fuel price transparency, Victoria is cracking down on unfair pricing, South Australia is improving monitoring and consumer protections, and Western Australia is regulating price cycles to give motorists certainty. Queensland is doing none of this.”
Ms Bourne said Queens- land Labor’s Transport Affordability Amendment Bill 2026 – which proposed capping daily fuel price increases at 5 cents, requiring fuel stations to notify customers of price hikes by 2pm the day prior, and legislating 50 cent public transport fares – was blocked by the LNP.
“Families in my community rely on their cars every day,” she said.
“While governments across the country are stepping up, the LNP is leaving Queenslanders behind. We put forward a practical plan to make fuel more affordable, and they refused to back it.”
State Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard said the community is really feeling the pain of higher fuel prices.
“It’s really going to put a dampener on Easter and school holidays, especially for Ipswich families already struggling to make ends meet,” she said.
“The State Government have shown they don’t care about this transport affordability crisis.”
The bill, which would have provided cost-of-living relief and safeguarded commuters, is not expected to return to Parliament until at least November.
