Petrol to return to Pongaroa

As small settlements around New Zealand lose businesses and essential services, one tiny Tararua town is bucking the trend.

After more than two years in the making, on-site digging for an unmanned 24/7 fuel stop began in Pongaroa, about 90km east of Palmerston North, on Monday.

Two garages used to sell petrol in Pongaroa, but both closed down over time due to factors such as retirement.

Pongaroa fuel stop development committee member Mark Wheeler said the community expressed huge interest in a petrol pump during a public meeting in October 2015.

Wheeler said some farmers had fuel tanks on their properties, but the rest of the 100 people in the town had to drive almost an hour, either to Pahiatua or Dannevirke, to refill their vehicles.

Because of the distance, people were forced to fill up containers when visiting bigger towns to do their groceries and place the fuel in the boots of their cars, he said.

It was also important for services in the area, such as the Fire Service, police, ambulance and the school bus, to have access to fuel, he said.

The fuel stop would benefit the tourists who often travelled along Route 52, which passed through the town.

‘‘There were lots of visitors that tried to come down Route 52 and ran out of fuel,’’ he said.

Wheeler is one of seven people on the committee that formed a business plan and partnership with Allied Petroleum Limited, and gathered funding for the erection of the two-pump fuel stop.

The total cost of the project was likely to be just over $600,000, with the committee share amounting to about $245,000, he said.

The Tararua District Council has also supported the project, granting $60,000 towards it.

The fuel stop will have two pumps with petrol and diesel available, an eftpos machine and lights for use at night.

The committee is in charge of the below-ground work, such as digging and contracting work.

Allied Petroleum will do the above ground work, which included the installation of the pumps and tanks.

It will be completed by late July, with the official opening likely to be in early August, he said.

Future developments on the site included a charging unit for electric cars.

Wheeler said it was also hoped a mechanic’s garage could be included in the future.

He said the project would make a profit and money from the venture would go back into community organisations, such as sports clubs and schools groups.

Although it had been a long process, Wheeler said it was great to see what the hard work of a community could do.

Tararua deputy mayor Allan Benbow said the council was supportive of the project and the work the community had done to get a fuel stop to return. ‘‘It’s a big commitment for a small community like Pongaroa to do something like this on their own.’’