Sydney and Melbourne petrol prices fall for long weekend

Sydneysiders and Melburnians heading off on road trips this Queen's Birthday long weekend are urged to delay filling their car until later in the week or on the holiday weekend as petrol prices in both cities continue to fall.  

Analysis by comparison site comparethemarket.com.au shows petrol prices trending lower in both cities.

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The website updates petrol prices three times daily across major Australian cities.

Abigail Koch, spokesperson for Comparethemarket, says petrol prices in capital cities run on a cycle of seven days to seven weeks, with prices in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide peaking at the top of the cycle last week.

"Price cycles are where prices usually fall slowly over a period of time before jumping up and then falling slowly again as the cycling behaviour continues," she says.

Unleaded petrol prices in the three months from March 4 to June 4, 2017, reached an average of 127.2 cents a litre, across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.

Motorists across most of the country can expect prices to ease over the long weekend, Koch says.

The findings show Sydneysiders paid an average of 123.2 cents a litre over the past three months, the lowest for any capital city.

However, Sydney motorists should delay filling up until the weekend, and only fill up as much as they need over the weekend as prices are at the top of the cycle and should slowly drop over the weekend and coming weeks, Koch says.

"The Fairfield-Liverpool region of Sydney is seeing the best petrol prices, with an average price for the quarter of 121.6 cents per litre," she says.  

Early this week, prices were the lowest in Fairfield, at an average of 119.3 cents a litre.

They were highest in Kellyville, Heathcote, Berowra and Mosman at 141.9 cents a litre – the most expensive suburbs for petrol in any of the six cities.

Melbourne motorists are also urged to delay filling up until the weekend, as prices continue to ease.

Melbourne residents paid 128.4 cents a litre, on average, over the quarter.

The cheapest areas for petrol in Melbourne over the past three months were Frankston and Cranbourne at 126 cents a litre.

"Residents in McKinnon can be thankful that prices are as low as 126.9 cents per litre as of early this week," Koch says.

Residents in Hastings, Kew, Healesville and Narre Warren North paid the most to fill up the tank earlier this week at an average of 139.9 cents a litre, Koch says.