Motorists and industry stakeholders are being asked to comment on proposals for new national rules to stop misleading fuel price boards, said Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury.
A consultation paper has been released following today's Consumer Affairs Forum ministerial meeting in Sydney.
"Consumers are being sucked in by fuel price boards that prominently display the prices of the most discounted fuel type," said Mr Bradbury.
"Once they drive into the service station, only then do they find out that there are often large differences between the prices of the different fuel types available - sometimes more than 10 cents a litre.
"There needs to be a consistent, national approach to the regulation of fuel price boards so that consumers can have confidence they won't be misled by signs that don't give them the full picture.
"Two key objectives for Ministers are ensuring that consumers are sufficiently well‑informed when making purchasing decisions, and that there is an integrated and harmonised approach in Australia to protecting consumers. In line with these objectives, the consultation paper contains options for a consistent national approach to how information is displayed to consumers on fuel price boards.
"I would encourage motorists and other stakeholders to make a submission to the consultation paper. The outcomes of the consultation will be considered by Consumer Affairs Ministers when deciding on the appropriate course of action to take."
The consultation paper is available on the Australian Consumer Law website. The closing date for submissions to the consultation paper is 15 February 2013.