Fuel prices in NZ
Submitted: Friday, May 09, 2008 at 20:50
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Member - Paul S (VIC)
G'day folks,
Does anyone know what benchmark NZ sets its fuel prices to? It's certainly not the same as ours (Singapore Tapas). We have just spent a couple of weeks over there and their diesel price is around $NZ0.30/litre cheaper than petrol.
Many on this
forum have argued that diesel should be cheaper than petrol here too. With their petrol at around $NZ1.90/litre it is considerably more than what we pay, but they have got the difference the right way round.
Possibly the fuels are taxed differently over there. Anyone know?
Cheers,
Paul
Reply By: DIO - Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:01
Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:01
Ah yes the system in NZ is very different to that in OZ when it comes to diesel fuel. All diesel fuelled vehicles have to purchase a permit for a specified number of kilometres and ir is against the law to drive such vehicle with an expired permit. The cost of these permits (as I recall) does in fact make the actual cost of running a diesel powered vehicle in NZ considerably more expensive than in OZ. So the actual mcost per litre of diesel is in fact cheaper at the bowser than in OZ HOWEVER there exists the 'hidden cost' to Australians at least. Perhaps a Kiwi might be able to explain the situation a little clearer for you if I am off the track with it at all. In regard to the supposed cost difference of petrol in NZ to OZ, the $1.90 per litre in NZ is actually equivilant to $1.55567 AUST so I don't really see any signicianct difference in petrol prices.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Paul S (VIC) - Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:55
Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:55
Thanks DIO, yes I thought there may be a catch.
On the petrol price difference between NZ & OZ, I think your 'no significant difference' calculation would only apply if Kiwi workers got paid in OZ dollars. Or their NZ wages were higher than ours, which I don't think is the case.
But thanks for clarifying the diesel pricing system for me.
Regards,
Paul
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Gramps (NSW) - Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:02
Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:02
"but they have got the difference the right way round."
Naaaah .... they've got it arse about as usual. Diesel deserves to be slugged hard hahahahaha
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Reply By: Member - Warfer (VIC) - Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:05
Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:05
No about the benchmark (Each servo is owner operated and they set the prices),but even up to 50 cents diesel/petrol..
Things are even worse in the Chathams. A
shop attendant at Waitangi Hardware quoted $2.30 for a litre for 91 and $1.80 for diesel, and said locals had been paying more than $2 a litre for at least six months.
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Reply By: steady - Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:10
Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:10
over in nz you pay road user chargers which is like this if your 4x4 weights 2 ton you pay $280 for 10,000 km; 3 ton about $300;4 ton $320; hopes this helps
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Follow Up By: Stu & "Bob" - Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:30
Friday, May 09, 2008 at 21:30
Is that on top of your Rego?
Is the weight calculation done on manufacturer's gross vehicle mass or over your local weighbridge?
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Follow Up By: steady - Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 19:09
Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 19:09
yes rego on top of this, say your 4x4 weighs 2 and half ton and you buy 3 ton road user and you load it up with camping gear and family in it and you get stopped and you weight is 3ton 200kg you will get a nice fine, the cops stop 4x4 near weigh bridges on the holiday season, hope this helps
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Reply By: Member - barry F (NSW) - Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 07:38
Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 07:38
There was a letter to the editor in the
Newcastle Morning Herald 8th May on this subject. I can't vouch for how accurate it is, but for what it is worth I'll quote part of the letter.
"Inquiries I made during a recent visit to that country (NZ) showed that all diesel vehicles are fitted with a wheel hub odometer. Owners then pay an additional tax calculated on laden vehicle weight times kilometres travelled. I am told that this more than negates the initial price saving"
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 07:57
Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 07:57
Thats definitely incorrect.
Only vehicles above a certain weight have them.
All trucks, buses etc do and god help you if you fiddle with them.
Light vehicles like cars, utes, 4x4 under 3.5 tonnes gross dont
Absolute full details in this booklet here All you want to know ( and some you dont)
http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/publications/docs/road-user-charges.pdf
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 07:46
Saturday, May 10, 2008 at 07:46
The road user charges are calcullated on the loaded weight of your vehicle.
Hence virtually nothing comes in under 2 tonne as even a car loaded weighs more than 1 tonne.
You have to buy in multiples of 1000km IN ADVANCE.
The penalty when I was last there in 2002 was about 3 times the cost of the amount you were behind plus you had to pay what you hadnt.
Also they have "truckstop" bowsers where, if you qualify, the fuel is cheaper. In the mid 90's I was driving a diesel Corona Taxi paying 2 tonne rates. At the pump diesel was 52.2cents per litre.
At the truckstop it was 43.3 cents.
To get a card to buy there you had to be a commercial vehicle so the ordinary joe couldnt use them. We got ours thru a cooperative of taxi owners.
The road user charges are viewable here
http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/factsheets/38.html
I was talking to friends over there last week and diesel was exactly the same price as in
Brisbane $1.53
Which makes it expensive as wages in my Job are about 60% of what I get paid here.
One advantage of living over there if you are retired is that EVERYONE over 65 (Or eligible age) gets the pension whether you work or not.
In money terms its about the same as here.
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