Chch poised for panic petrol buying

Press, 12 June 1989, Page 8

Chch poised for panic petrol buying

By

GLEN PERKINSON

Panic petrol buying is predicted this week as Christchurch petrol tanks empty. An indefinite seamen’s strike has stranded two coastal tankers at Marsden Point.

Oil company executives last evening confirmed that petrol supplies were low and said if the strike continued Christchurch would run out. One service station owner said there were only three or four days fuel left in Lyttelton’s port tankers.

Stations are already being rationed as companies try to stretch dwindling supplies. Although companyowned service station managers declined to comment, the privately owned high-volume Carlton Service Station said the tanks were close to empty. Mr Rob Hempsteed, the proprietor, said his stocks were down to less than half capacity and that would sell quickly.

The station sells more than 50,000 litres a- fortnight.

Mr Hempsteed has 30,000 litres on order but understands his quota of dwindling supplies will be limited to about 10,000 litres.

“We have been put on allocation — Christchurch may run out of petrol next week. If stations are on allocation now there may only be three or four days supply left,’’ he said.

When news of short supplies got out, motorists usually panic-bought. This would see tanks run dry even more quickly, he said.

Oil company spokespeople agreed. “There are going to be problems if this strike continues,” one said. i Another spokesperson said companies would be concerned if the seamen’s strike continued.

The strike, which began on Tuesday last week, was compounded on Friday

evening when the cooks and stewards joined the seamen.

There may be some hope for motorists in today’s round of union meetings set to discuss the strike. The seamen’s union executive met late last week and will convey its recommendations to today’s meetings.

All three maritime industry awards are stalemated — the seamen’s from November last year, the cooks and stewards’ from late February and the Merchant Service Guild’s from late April.

The strike has stretched more than a dozen ships at ports throughout New Zealand.

L.P.G. supplies could be threatened also as the Liquigas L.P.G., tanker Tarihiko is tied up in Dunedin.