fuel excise increase Page 289

The short version: Australia’s fuel excise is indexed to CPI twice a year (February and August), so it quietly creeps up by small amounts per litre. The big bump people remember was the end of the temporary 2022 cut, after which the full rate returned. Each indexation adds cents, not dollars—on a 50–60 L fill, it’s a few bucks, annoying rather than apocalyptic. States can’t tweak it; it’s a federal lever, and only a budget decision would freeze or reduce it. Businesses may claim Fuel Tax Credits for eligible uses, while regular motorists are left to drive smoother and mutter creatively at the bowser.