A genuine refinery town
Geelong is one of only two cities in Australia still home to a working oil refinery — Viva Energy's plant at Corio, one of just two left in the country after Altona and Kwinana closed. It doesn't make local fuel meaningfully cheaper, since pump prices track the same import-parity benchmarks as everywhere else, but it does make Geelong a real fuel town with strong station density and competition.
It follows Melbourne's cycle
Geelong moves with the Melbourne discount cycle — a jump of 25-35¢/L then a multi-week grind down. The cheapest stations cluster around Corio, Norlane and Belmont, where competition is strongest. Torquay and the Surf Coast run noticeably higher on tourist demand, so fill up in Geelong before heading down the Great Ocean Road.
Victorian data runs a little behind
Victoria's fuel price reporting scheme publishes once daily rather than in real time, so PetrolPulse's Geelong prices can sit up to a day behind the bowser. Treat them as a directional read on where the cycle is, and confirm at the pump before committing to a longer drive.