Government plans on scrapping unleaded petrol

In a move that’s already causing waves, the government has released a proposal calling for unleaded petrol to be banned in Australia.

As it stands, unleaded fuel is the most popular petrol in the country thanks to it’s cheaper price.

But now, the government wants to scarp it and force drivers to fork out for premium fuel instead.

The proposal is being pushed forward in a bid to clean up our environmental record, with PM Malcolm Turnbull saying it will help improve health as well.

But while both these things are important, many people are concerned with whether or not they’ll be able to afford up to 21 cents more per litre every time they go to fill up.

With so many Aussies around the country struggling to meet the cost of living, is this just another kick in the guts?

Unleaded fuel is the dirtiest and lowest quality fuel on the market, but NRMA spokesperson Peter Khoury says people will end up feeling the pinch in their pockets.

“If you go down the path of phasing out regular unleaded you would be exposing motorists to even more rorts than we are now,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Premium unleaded already costs 21 cents more than ethanol – imagine what could happen if we adopt European standards.”

So is Turnbull making the right call here, or do we need to keep things affordable even it is sacrifices our environment?

If the ban is successful, it will also cost our main oil refineries billions to upgrade their plants and there’s no word yet on whether or not it will be taxpayers who fork out the cash for it.

While the proposal has left many outraged, others say it’s the right call and we need to put our environment first for a change.

What do you think?

Should we ban unleaded petrol? Or will this make it even harder to afford the cost of living?