Tasman Fuels Ltd has been granted consent to establish a 24-hour self-serve fuel station on railway land on State Highway 1.
The company’s managing director in Auckland, Phillip Dubau, said it was an exciting step for the industry small player, as it expanded its brand throughout the South Island.
He expected the service station would be operating by early next year.
Currently it has service stations in Omarama, Christchurch, Greymouth, and five in the North Island.
‘‘It’s a very small footprint, a very small retail network,’’ Dubau said.
The company began three years ago with its first fuel station in Christchurch. Today it has 11 fuel stations.
Dubau could not guarantee the cheapest price for fuel in Mid Canterbury on every day, but the aim was to bring competition to the market.
‘‘Our service stations in all the other places, the price went down generally in those places, I guess this is the beauty of competition,’’ he said.
District council group manager of compliance and development Ian Hyde said land use consent was granted by the district council on October 1, subject to conditions, relating to landscaping (planting of a 399m2 raised garden area), earthworks, lighting and fuel storage.
Environment Canterbury had issued relevant consents, including land use consent for excavation and land use consent to store hazardous substances.
The land is zoned Open Space A and is located opposite the Ashburton Domain layby.
Existing vehicle crossings on SH1 will be utilised and the roadside boundary planting will be retained.
‘‘The non-complying activity was granted on the basis effects on the environment would be acceptable and other relevant matters had been addressed,’’ Hyde said.
Meanwhile, Waitomo continues to go through the consent process as it aims to establish a fuel station on State Highway 1 at Tinwald.
