Beyond Auckland they're ready for cheap-fuel rush
5:00AM Tuesday May 22, 2007
By Mathew Dearnaley
The proposed regional petrol and diesel tax applies within these areas. Herald graphic
Service station owners beyond Auckland are preparing for a windfall from motorists wanting to avoid a regional fuel tax.
Kaiwaka's Shamrock service station, north of the regional boundary, is looking forward to extra business if a tax of up to 10c a litre is imposed.
Owner Glenn Teal said yesterday that business had already increased considerably since he dropped his prices to main-centre levels last year and he was looking forward to even better times if a regional fuel tax made it cheaper to fill up at Kaiwaka.
But the owner of Te Hana's Go Gas outlet, just inside the regional boundary, fears being given a wide swerve by motorists.
"We won't survive if everybody wants to buy cheaper petrol up the road," said Jaswinder Singh.
Just beyond Auckland's southern frontier, Pokeno service station owner Alan Wilkinson was unimpressed by a suggestion that the tax may extend as far as Mercer to help to pay for public transport services yet to materialise.
Although he and wife June will be unaffected - as they are moving next month to the South Island - he warned that the Auckland Regional Council would face bitter opposition from the Pokeno community if it had to pay higher prices while receiving nothing in return.
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