THE PRESS WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1979. Aviation fuel supply

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 22

THE PRESS WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1979. Aviation fuel supply

The severity of the reductions in supplies of aviation fuel has come as a surprise. The Minister of Energy, Mr Birch, obviously believes that the moves are warranted, but they cannot be viewed with equanimity. An important industry is built around the flying of small aircraft in New Zealand: it is bound to be affected and some people are going to lose jobs. Aerial topdressing, as one part of the industry is going to be curtailed. At a time when the country desperately needs to increase agricultural production, to which aerial topdressing can make a significant, and in many areas, a necessary, contribution, such reductions could be serious in their results. However, the shortage of supply is presumably a very real one. New Zealand imports all its aviation fuel and the lost production at the Abadan refinery referred to by the Minister is bound to have had an impact on the world supply of aviation fuel. Once more, it seems. New Zealand is suffering from the problems of distance and providing only a small market. The situation may last for some months. One of the surprising aspects has been that little warning has been given. The reductions of 30 per cent talked about in March were not accompanied by official communications to a large number of organisations affected. The Government and the oil companies

appeared to want to play their cards close to their chests. Word of mouth and rumour are not adequate ways of sorting out a difficult problem. Now, at least, the moves are out in the open.

Possibly that will make things better. At least those who buy their fuel from, say, the Canterbury Aero Club will know that they are going to have last year’s amount cut in half, just as the club has had its quota cut in half. Itinerant pilots from other centres are going to be given enough fuel to take them 150 nautical miles. Already pilots have been known to set off on long journeys without the reserves of fuel they should carry for safety. The genera) effect of the latest reduction — a further 20 per cent cut — is bound to have the effect of making sure a lot less flying is done around New Zealand.

If reductions are inescapable, the country has to put up with them. The trouble is that sufficient momentum has to be kept in the economy lest the feeling spreads that New Zealand is grinding to a halt. The aerial topdressers have not had their aviation fuel supplies cut quite as severely as aero clubs, but their work will still be upset drastically. Tourism is also likely to be badly hurt. These are serious aspects of the Government moves, however inevitable they may be.