Federal member for Page Kevin Hogan is urging the competition watchdog to get to the bottom of why Northern Rivers’ petrol prices are higher than those paid by city motorists. Mr Hogan has written to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission asking it to investigate why petrol prices were well above the average of both Sydney and Brisbane. “World oil prices are falling and yet these lower prices are not being passed on to motorists on the North Coast,” he said. On Tuesday of last week average petrol price in Sydney was $1.05 a litre, while in Ballina the price was $1.29, Casino $1.08, Grafton $1.19, Lismore $1.21 and Woolgoolga $1.21. The cheapest, according to the NRMA, was in 99 cents a litre in Blacktown. “Based on these prices, it is costing Northern Rivers’ motorists up to $13 more to fill up the average tank than those in Sydney,” Mr Hogan said. “This is totally unacceptable. Even after accounting for the cost of transporting fuel, our pump priced should be lower and fall at the same rate as it does in the cities.” Crude oil prices have slumped 20 per cent this year to about $US28 a barrel. Eight months ago prices were hovering around the $US65 mark.