{"id":"sr:australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-practice-fuel-price-reporting-regulations-2025","name":"Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers) Regulations 2025","slug":"australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-of-practice-for-fuel-retailers-regulations-2025","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":181448,"registerId":"vic-sr:australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-practice-fuel-price-reporting-regulations-2025-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers) Regulations 2025","content":"Version No. 002\n\n**Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers) Regulations 2025**\n\n**S.R. No. 74/2025**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n10 March 2026\n\n**TABLE OF PROVISIONS**\n\n*Regulation Page*\n\n1 Objective 1\n\n2 Authorising provision 1\n\n3 Commencement 1\n\n4 Revocation 1\n\n5 Prescription of Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers 2\n\nSchedule 1—Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers 3\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes 5\n\n1 General information 5\n\n2 Table of Amendments 7\n\n3 Explanatory details 8\n\n**Version No.** **002**\n\n**Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers) Regulations 2025**\n\n**S.R. No. 74/2025**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n10 March 2026\n\nReg. 1 substituted by S.R. No. 152/2025 reg. 6.\n\n\t1 Objective\n\nThe objective of these Regulations is to prescribe a code of practice to regulate the display of fuel prices on price boards at service stations.\n\n\t2 Authorising provision\n\nThese Regulations are made under section 232 of the **Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012**.\n\n\t3 Commencement\n\nThese Regulations come into operation on 6 August 2025.\n\n\t4 Revocation\n\nThe Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Price Boards) Regulations 2016[[1]](#endnote-1) are **revoked**.\n\nReg. 5 (Heading) amended by S.R. No. 152/2025 reg. 7(1).\n\nReg. 5 amended by S.R. No. 152/2025 reg. 7(2).\n\n\t5 Prescription of Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers\n\nFor the purposes of Part 6.3 of the **Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012**, the code of practice set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations is the Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers.\n\nSch. 1 substituted by S.R. No. 152/2025 reg. 8.\n\nSchedule 1—Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers\n\nRegulation 5\n\n\t1 Citation\n\nThis code of practice may be cited as the Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers.\n\n\t2 Purpose of code\n\nThe purpose of this code of practice is to regulate the display by fuel retailers of fuel prices on price boards at service stations.\n\n\t3 Definitions\n\nIn this code of practice—\n\n***discounted fuel price***, in relation to a type of fuel, means the price per litre at which fuel of that type is available to consumers after any discount (whether by a voucher, discount rate, reward scheme or any other means) is applied;\n\n***price board*** means a board, sign or notice at a service station that displays information regarding the price of types of fuel offered for retail sale at the service station.\n\n\t4 Price board not to display discounted fuel price\n\nA fuel retailer must not display the discounted fuel price for a type of fuel on any price board.\n\n\t5 Price board may display information about discounts\n\nA fuel retailer must not display information about a discount or special offer for a type of fuel on a price board unless the normal fuel price for that type of fuel is displayed on the price board.\n\n\t6 Display of prices on price board and fuel pump display\n\n(1) If a fuel retailer increases the normal fuel price for a type of fuel, the fuel retailer must change the price displayed on any price board to reflect the increase in price before, or at the same time as, changing the price displayed for that type of fuel on any fuel pump display.\n\n(2) If a fuel retailer decreases the normal fuel price for a type of fuel, the fuel retailer must change the price displayed on any price board to reflect the decrease in price after, or at the same time as, changing the price displayed on any fuel pump display for that type of fuel.\n\n═════════════\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current Versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Price Reporting) Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 74/2025 were made on 5 August 2025 by the Governor in Council under section 232 of the **Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012**, No. 21/2012 and came into operation on 6 August 2025: regulation 3.\n\nThe Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Price Reporting) Regulations 2025 will sunset 10 years after the day of making on 5 August 2035 (see section 5 of the **Subordinate Legislation Act 1994**).\n\nThe title of this Statutory Rule was changed from the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Price Reporting) Regulations 2025 to the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers) Regulations 2025 by regulation 5 of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice and Infringements for Fuel Retailers) Amendment Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 152/2025.\n\nINTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)\n\nStyle changes\n\nSection 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.\n\nReferences to ILA s. 39B\n\nSidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided regulation, rule or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subregulations, subrules or subclauses the original regulation, rule or clause becomes subregulation, subrule or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression \"(1)\" at the beginning of the original regulation, rule or clause.\n\nInterpretation\n\nAs from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:\n\n• Headings\n\nAll headings included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any heading inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nThis includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; Orders; Parts into which an Order is divided; clauses; regulations; rules; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms.  \nSee section 36(1A)(2A)(2B).\n\n• Examples, diagrams or notes\n\nAll examples, diagrams or notes included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Statutory Rule. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Statutory Rule. See section 36(3A).\n\n• Punctuation\n\nAll punctuation included in a Statutory Rule which is made on or after  \n1 January 2001 forms part of that Statutory Rule. Any punctuation inserted in a Statutory Rule which was made before 1 January 2001, by a Statutory Rule made on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Statutory Rule.  \nSee section 36(3B).\n\n• Provision numbers\n\nAll provision numbers included in a Statutory Rule form part of that Statutory Rule, whether inserted in the Statutory Rule before, on or after  \n1 January 2001. Provision numbers include regulation numbers, rule numbers, subregulation numbers, subrule numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).\n\n• Location of \"legislative items\"\n\nA \"legislative item\" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of a Statutory Rule is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.\n\n• Other material\n\nAny explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of a Statutory Rule. See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThis publication incorporates amendments made to the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers) Regulations 2025 by statutory rules, subordinate instruments and Acts.\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\nAustralian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice and Infringements for Fuel Retailers) Amendment Regulations 2025, S.R. No. 152/2025\n\n| *Date of Making:* | 23.12.25 |\n| --- | --- |\n| *Date of Commencement:* | Regs 5–8 on 10.3.26: reg. 3 |\n\n\n–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––\n\n3 Explanatory details\n\n1. Reg. 4: S.R. No. 54/2016. [↑](#endnote-ref-1)","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The legislation appears to have undergone significant title and scope changes. Originally made as the 'Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading (Code of Practice for Fuel Price Reporting) Regulations 2025', it was amended by S.R. No. 152/2025 to become the '...Fuel Retailers' Regulations. The Endnotes indicate the original instrument was made on 5 August 2025, but the amendments (effective 10 March 2026) substituted the entire Schedule 1 and changed the regulation headings. This suggests the original intent may have been focused on price reporting, but the amended version focuses on price display practices at service stations. However, the current operative provisions remain tightly focused on price board display rules without significant expansion into broader fuel retail regulation."},"complexity_factors":["Only 2 defined terms in the Code of Practice ('discounted fuel price' and 'price board')","Straightforward prohibitions and requirements with minimal conditional logic","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling Act","Single Schedule with 6 short clauses","Clear sequential structure: definitions, prohibitions, timing requirements","No exceptions, exemptions, or nested conditions in the operative provisions"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations create a **Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers** that sets rules about how petrol stations display fuel prices on their price boards (the big signs you see from the road).\n\n**The three main rules are:**\n\n*   **No discounted prices on price boards** — Petrol stations cannot show the \"after discount\" price on their main signs. For example, they can't advertise \"$1.50/litre with voucher\" as the headline price.\n*   **Discounts only with normal prices** — If they want to mention a discount or special offer on the price board, they must also clearly show the normal (undiscounted) price.\n*   **Timing of price changes** — When petrol prices go **up**, the price board must be updated **before or at the same time** as the pump. When prices go **down**, the price board can be updated **after or at the same time** as the pump. This stops stations from advertising low prices while charging higher prices at the bowser.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n*   **Fuel retailers** — Anyone running a service station in Victoria must follow these display rules.\n*   **Consumers** — Drivers get clearer, less misleading price information when comparing fuel costs.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThis stops \"bait and switch\" tactics where drivers pull in based on a cheap-looking sign, only to find the actual price is higher. It ensures the price you see from the road is the real price you'll pay (before any optional discounts), making it easier to compare fuel costs between stations.\n\n**Background note:** These regulations replace earlier 2016 rules and were amended in early 2026 to expand their scope and change the title from \"Fuel Price Reporting\" to \"Fuel Retailers\"."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument broadens and sharpens regulatory reach compared with the earlier 2016 rules. The 2016 instrument related to price boards; the 2025 code (as substituted and retitled in S.R. No. 152/2025) explicitly bans the display of discounted per‑litre prices on boards, requires the normal price be displayed where discounts are advertised, and prescribes sequencing requirements between board and pump displays (Schedule 1, regs 4–6). Those new constraints move beyond simple price reporting to prescribe how discounts may be presented and how operational price updates must be sequenced, increasing operational compliance obligations for retailers and changing how roadside price competition can be signalled."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument: 6 operative regulations plus a Schedule (Schedule 1 contains the substantive code).","Only 2 defined terms in the code of practice (\"discounted fuel price\" and \"price board\").","Four core operative rules in the Schedule (prohibition on discounted price display; condition for displaying discount information; timing rules for price increases and decreases; and prescription under the Act).","One point of conditional logic (different timing rules depending on whether price is increasing or decreasing) (Schedule 1, reg. 6).","Cross‑reference to Part 6.3 of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 as the authorising basis (Reg. 2; Reg. 5).","Amendment and revocation history (revokes 2016 regulations; title and Schedule substituted by 2025 amendment), creating a small layer of historical complexity."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanical changes)\n\n- Prescribes a short Code of Practice for fuel retailers that regulates what prices and discount information can be shown on roadside price boards at service stations (Reg. 5; Schedule 1).\n- Prohibits showing a discounted per‑litre price on any price board (Schedule 1, reg. 4).\n- Requires that if a discount or special offer is shown on a price board, the normal (non‑discounted) price must also be shown on that board (Schedule 1, reg. 5).\n- Sets rules for the order in which price boards and pump displays are changed when a normal price is increased or decreased: when increasing a normal price, the price board must be updated before or at the same time as the pump display; when decreasing a normal price, the board must be updated after or at the same time as the pump display (Schedule 1, reg. 6).\n- Revokes the earlier 2016 regulations on fuel price boards and takes effect 6 August 2025; the code is prescribed under Part 6.3 of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 (Regs 3–5).\n\n**Who this affects\n\n- Fuel retailers operating service stations: they must change what appears on price boards and how they sequence updates between price boards and pump displays.\n- Consumers: roadside price boards will no longer show the per‑litre discounted price; instead they will see the normal price and may see information about discounts only if the normal price is also shown.\n- Rival businesses and loyalty/discount program operators: the changes affect how discounts may be advertised at a station forecourt and may encourage shifting discount presentation into other channels (apps, receipts, payment prompts).\n\n**Why it matters (stated purpose and operational effects)\n\n- The code’s stated purpose is to regulate the display of fuel prices on price boards (Schedule 1, reg. 2). The likely regulatory aim (as stated by the prescription) is to improve transparency and reduce the risk that roadside price boards mislead motorists by advertising a lower ‘discounted’ headline price that is not available at the bowser without further conditions.\n\n- Testing that purpose against effects, trade‑offs and implementation costs:\n  - Who pays: fuel retailers carry the direct compliance costs — replacing or reprogramming signs, changing point‑of‑sale and pump display procedures, training staff, and possibly updating loyalty systems to avoid showing discounted prices on boards (Schedule 1, regs 4–6).\n  - Behavioural incentives: retailers may avoid showing discounts on roadside boards to comply, or they may raise the displayed 'normal' price so a displayed discount appears less favourable. Retailers could also move discount advertising away from the board (for example into apps, membership signage inside the site, or at the point of payment), changing how visible promotions are to passing motorists.\n  - Competition and consumer information: the rule banning discounted prices on boards reduces the ability of retailers to use a low headline discounted price as a roadside competitive signal. That may reduce price‑visibility competition between stations but can also reduce misleading impressions where discounts are conditional.\n  - Compliance burden concentration: national chains with digital signage and integrated pricing systems will find it easier and cheaper to comply than small independent operators who may need manual changes or new signage hardware.\n  - Implementation risks: synchronising pump displays and price boards to meet the timing rules (Schedule 1, reg. 6) requires operational process changes and possibly technical integration. Mistiming during a changeover could temporarily display inconsistent prices to consumers.\n  - Substitution effects: retailers can lawfully present discount information through other channels not captured by the code (apps, coupons, in‑store signage), which could reduce the immediate roadside signalling of bargains.\n  - Enforcement and time horizon: the code is prescribed under the ACL and so sits inside the Act’s compliance framework (Reg. 5). The instrument also contains a statutory sunset arrangement in the endnotes: it will cease 10 years after making (see Endnotes).\n\n**Practical mechanics (what to do and what to avoid)\n\n- Do not display a discounted per‑litre price on any price board (Schedule 1, reg. 4).\n- If you display any discount or special offer on a price board, also display the normal (non‑discounted) price on that board (Schedule 1, reg. 5).\n- When increasing a normal price, update the price board no later than the pump display; when decreasing a normal price, update the price board no earlier than the pump display (Schedule 1, reg. 6).\n\n**Bottom line**: The regulation fixes a narrow set of rules about what retailers may display on roadside price boards and the order in which board and pump prices are changed. It shifts operational and compliance tasks to fuel retailers, changes how discounts may be communicated at the forecourt, and reduces the use of headline discounted prices on roadside signage (Schedule 1, regs 4–6)."},"summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The regulation's title changed from 'Code of Practice for Fuel Price Reporting' to 'Code of Practice for Fuel Retailers', indicating the scope has broadened beyond mere price reporting obligations to encompass wider conduct standards applying to fuel retailers generally. This suggests the original intent (price transparency) has been expanded to cover broader consumer-facing obligations."},"complexity_factors":["Insufficient operative text provided — only metadata and version history are visible, limiting full analysis","Name change from 'Price Reporting' to 'Code of Practice' implies a broadened scope that adds interpretive complexity","Sits within the broader Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act framework, requiring cross-referencing with parent legislation","Codes of practice can have uncertain enforceability depending on whether they are mandatory or advisory","Potential overlap with Commonwealth fuel price transparency schemes adds jurisdictional complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"This Victoria regulation sets a Code of Practice for fuel retailers, expanding from its original focus on mandatory price reporting to broader conduct standards for how fuel businesses operate and interact with customers.  \n\nIt affects petrol station owners/operators (and possibly wholesalers/distributors), aiming to increase transparency, prevent misleading pricing, and promote fair treatment for consumers when buying fuel."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-of-practice-for-fuel-retailers-regulations-2025","history":"/api/acts/australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-of-practice-for-fuel-retailers-regulations-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-of-practice-for-fuel-retailers-regulations-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-of-practice-for-fuel-retailers-regulations-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-of-practice-for-fuel-retailers-regulations-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/australian-consumer-law-and-fair-trading-code-of-practice-for-fuel-retailers-regulations-2025/documents"}}