Fuel Tax Relief Is Back in Debate. Why Not Toll Relief for Queensland Commuters?
3 minute read
26 September 2026
Before work, a driver fills the car. On the way to work, they cross the Gateway. Fuel costs money. The road costs money. Tomorrow, they do it again.
Australia is talking about fuel tax relief once more. On 20 September, the federal Coalition proposed a “Fuel Price Shield”. If the two-week average price of Brent crude rose above US$100 a barrel, its plan would temporarily halve fuel excise. The Coalition estimates that would reduce the tax on fuel by about 27 cents a litre while the measure operates.
It is a proposal. It is not a fuel tax cut currently in force. But the debate raises a question for people paying tolls every working day: where is their relief?
The cost of one regular crossing
Linkt lists the current Class 2 car toll at the Gateway Motorway’s Murarrie point as $6.02 per crossing. Cross it twice a day, five days a week, and that is $60.20 a week. Over 48 working weeks, it is $2,889.60. That example covers one toll point and assumes no extra fees. Some journeys cost more.
For many people, the Gateway is the practical route between home and work. A toll can be optional on a map and still be hard to avoid in real life when the alternative adds time, fuel and stress.
Queensland toll prices generally change each July in line with Brisbane CPI, while AirportlinkM7 is adjusted in January. Linkt says there is currently no specific toll cashback or rebate scheme in Queensland.
NSW shows that relief is possible. Eligible motorists there can claim a rebate under a $50 weekly toll cap, subject to the scheme’s rules. Queensland drivers deserve an honest discussion about whether a similar cap, a frequent commuter discount or targeted relief would make sense here.
Who carries the cost?
Fuel excise and road tolls are different charges with different legal arrangements. Cutting one would not automatically reduce the other. But a family budget does not separate them into neat legal categories. It sees the total cost of getting to work.
If governments are debating when fuel tax should ease during a price shock, they should also ask what happens to motorists who pay a toll on top. How many people rely on these roads? What would a weekly cap cost? Who would fund it? Put the numbers and the concession arrangements in public view.
Robin Hood Tech’s position is simple: essential travel should not become an endless squeeze on the people who keep turning up to work.
See our Queensland toll prices guide and Gateway Motorway guide for the current toll details.