Petrol prices are on their way down. Photo: Claudia Baxter

“If you live in New South Wales and especially Sydney, hold off if you can because lower prices are on their way,” is the advice of the NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury.

Last weekend in Perth, the price of unleaded petrol dropped below the dollar per litre mark, before rising again this week, in that city’s weekly price cycle.

Over on the east coast, the cycle is longer and more erratic, sometimes lasting between 30 and 40 days, but Mr Khoury said it had peaked, and had already dropped by about seven cents per litre.

Petrol prices at a Sydney Coles Express before last month’s Queen’s Birthday long weekend.Source:News Corp Australia

Victoria and Queensland, states which are on a similar cycle to NSW, could also expect to enjoy drops in the coming days and weeks, he said.

“What happens in Perth tends to follow in other capital cities, so Sydney should see even better prices, because it is one of the cheapest cities in the country,” Mr Khoury said.

“We have hit the high point of the cycle and they are now starting to fall.

“We have already seen falls of seven or eight cents in the past week.

“In the last cycle some stations fell below the dollar, so there’s a very real possibility we will go back to there or even better.”

The NRMA is tipping an average price of $1.07 per litre at the bottom of this cycle, but, given it is an average figure, he said there will be many service stations around offering less than that.

The fall in petrol prices in Australia has been partly attributed to a global surge in oil supply following increased production in Libya, combined with the strengthening Australian dollar.

All combine to bring relief at the bowser for the country’s motorists.

Portsmith United on Thursday. Prices are tipped to plunge in the coming days and weeks. PICTURE: ANNA ROGERSSource:News Corp Australia

The average prices for unleaded petrol in capital cities across Australia on Thursday was:

Melbourne 123.8c

Sydney 117.3c

Brisbane 124.3

Adelaide 107.2c

Perth 123.9c

Darwin 130.1c

Hobart 138.7c

Mr Khoury said Adelaide was often among the cheapest places in the country for petrol, while Brisbane remained one of the more expensive on the east coast.

He said independent services stations, or lack thereof in Brisbane’s case, played a big role in both cities.

“Brisbane is a real trouble place, they are consistently more expensive than they should be, because there are not as many independents, who pay a huge role, he said.

“Whereas, it’s 107.2c in Adelaide. They are ahead of us and falling faster and further than us, because there are a lot more independents there per capita than anywhere else in Australia.”

Hold off filling up if you can, is the advice from the NRMA. Photo: Claudia BaxterSource:News Corp Australia