N.Z. oil down to 12 days supply

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 3

N.Z. oil down to 12 days supply

PA Wellington Port stocks of oil are down to about 12 days supply and there is still a possibility that some petrol stations may run out on Saturday, said the Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) yesterday. But a fuel tanker was due any day and stocks would go up again, he said. I “We have always said ithere could be a shortage,” |Mr Birch said. “If we run out, we run out. There is nothing we can do.”

I Even so, the Government has agreed to petrol stations staying open until 9 p.m. tomorrow and opening again for sales on Saturday to ease the Easter fuel situation.

Petrol savings of about 20 per cent were achieved last week, according to a survey by the Retail Motor Trade Association.

This compares with savings of close to 18 per cent the previous week, and more than 23 per cent the week before that. The survey covers 100 of the 4000 garages and service statiohs. A Coromandel petrol sta-

tion might close within the next two weeks unless the Government lifts its restrictions on the sale of weekend petrol. Mr M. Daly, manager of the Pauanui Service Station, has found that it no longer pays to stay open. Mr Daly said yesterday that last week was the worst in three years for petrol sales. He took less than $7O and as the rent on the premises was $6O, no profit was left at all, after expenses were taken into account.

“Things have got steadily worse since week-end closing was first introduced,” Mr Daly said. “Unfortunately things have been worse for us because Pauanui is out on a limb and there is very little traffic passing through.” Mr Daly said his income from petrol sales fell from an average of $3500 a week to less than $9OO last week. “As a result, we can no longer survive,” he said. “The station wiil probably close in the week after Easter unless the Government, changes the dosing regulations quickly.”

The week-end ban on petrol sales does not seem to have deterred Christchurch people from the usual autumn activities of collecting firewood and doing garden maintenance.

A survey yesterday showed that trailer hires from most service stations and hiring agencies have not been affected by the sales ban. While no petrol is being sold after 7 p.m. on Fridays, some service stations are making provision for week-end trailer hire. Mi B. L. Evans, of Les Evans Garage, Ltd, said he was at work on Saturdays and was able to continue hiring trailers. This business was as brisk as in the past, although it took motorists two week-ends to realise they could still get trailers in spite of the petrol ban. A proprietor of the Raceway Motors, Ltd, Mr J. B. Ford, said he was at the service station on Saturday mornings to hire trailers. Customers were benefiting from this, because, with noone to accept trailers back on Sundays, they were able to keep them the whole week-end, he said.