Source: Radio New Zealand
Fuel price increases will be felt soon: Diesel is the main source of electricity for the remote Chatham Islands. Vk2cz / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)
Chatham Islands diesel will remain at pre-war prices until mid-April, but pump-prices will soon rise, residents are being warned.
In most parts of New Zealand, diesel has risen to more than $3 per litre since the war on Iran started three weeks ago. But in the Chathams, where diesel is the main source of electricity, it’s still $2.29 a litre.
The Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust owns the archipelago’s infrastructure companies, including providing fuel. Group chief executive Bob Penter says the price of diesel will rise by 15 cents in April. It will then be reviewed again, and another hike is likely in May.
Petrol prices remain the same for now, at $4.50 a litre.
- Isolated communities grappling with rising fuel costs
“We’re really trying to soften the sudden price shocks that perhaps we’re seeing elsewhere in New Zealand, and that’s something that we’re able to do as the enterprise trust because we’re essentially operating as a charitable trust,” Penter said.
“So we’re trying to really modify the impact as much as we can.”
Before the Iran conflict began, the Chatham Islands was the most expensive place to buy petrol. There is capacity to store up to 400,000 litres of fuel on Chatham Island.
“What we’ve seen for our purchase price of diesel that we buy and bring over on the Southern Tiare, the ship that supports the Chathams, is that its risen by $1.15, since the Middle East events have taken place,” Penter said.
“So we’re able to absorb this at the moment, but it’s going to start slowly feeding through to the pump price.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
