New year's resolution for all governments, car companies, petrol companies, petrol retailers and other leeches who live off those of us who own cars: get your hands out of our pockets.
Four years ago the international oil price was $US110 a barrel and you paid $1.40 a litre at your local servo. Today the oil price has dropped nearly 70 per cent and the price you are paying has dropped by a massive 10 per cent to an average of $1.26 a litre. Lucky you!
But if you live outside the major cities you are really stuffed. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission found that while retail petrol prices in the five largest cities in Australia move in cycles, these price cycles generally do not occur in Hobart and Darwin, or in most regional locations.
ACCC boss Rod Sims found every man, woman, child and crocodile in our deep north is paying $77 a year extra for the benefit of buying petrol locally.