Public using better quality coals

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 1

Public using better quality coals

Recent advertising opposing the use of open fires in Christchurch has had some effect, if only to persuade the public to buy higher-quality coals. A survey of 10 Christchurch coal merchants yesterday showed that more people are asking for' highquality, low sulphur-content coals such as Ohai and Linton from Southland. “Unlike last year, a lot of people are asking, for. low sulphur-content . coal,” said the, manager of the Papanui CoaT Company, Ltd, Mr Linden Barr. “Many of them seem concerned about ,the pollution problem. But they .also realise that the cheaper, high sulphur-content coal is not really value for money,” he said. That people’s concern about the pollution problem has not extended to their switching to other forms of heating is clearly shown by the trade being done by the Christchurch Gas Company. “Our Saturday trade is better than it has ever been.” said the general manager of the company, Mr C. W. S. Kennedy. The company has just installed a second weigh-bridge

at its coal depot. This has quickened customer service. All other merchants, spoken to said they were experiencing a slow start to the season.. Most put the lack of demand down to a mild autumn and the late arrival of cold weather. : But . apart from the weather, the entry of the Christchurch Gas Company into ■ the • consumer market had made things, difficult for some merchants. , “The last two years have been a disaster in the coal trade, . since the Gas Company came into it,” said Mr Barr. Supplies bf both wood and coal are abundant in Christchurch at .the moment, but increased railway charges'and the risejn the price of State coal k has pushed prices up by 2540.35 per cent from last year. Top-quality Ohai and Linton coals, both of which have a low. sulphur content, are retailing in Christchurch for between $6.40 and $7 a bag this year, compared with about $5.85 a bag last winter. Lower-grade coals vary in price between $5 and $6 a bag'; and wood, in the form of pine blocks, is a vailable from most merchants at between

S2AO and $2.60 a bag. "The State mines are now producing as much as we can. handle,” said a spokesman' for State Coal, which supplies most Christchurch merchants. Last winter there had been a shortage of good-quality coal, he said, and many merchants had been forced to resort to selling cheap, high sulphur-content coal. The lack of high-quality Southland lignite made the city's air-pollution problem worse than usual last winter. This year, because of the expansion of mining, at Ohai, there would be a continuous and adequate supply of good coal, the spokesman said. l As one big Christchurch merchant put it: ‘.'There should be no need for anyone to use anything else.” All the Christchurch merchants offer price reductions if coal is collected, from the yard rather than delivered. At most yards the-reduction is 50c a bag. None of; the merchants surveyed reported long delivery backlogs. The Christchurch Gas Company., is ..now- selling bagged Birchfield nuts, at $3 a bag, as well as in . bulk trailer loads.