unleaded 91 up 12.8c (4.95%) to $2.71,diesel up 32.05c (17.1%) to $2.19,unleaded 95 up 13.89c (5.05%) to $2.89, andunleaded 98 up 18.7c (6.45%) to $3.08.
Jones linked the volatility to international pressure on refined‑fuel supply, saying New Zealand is now dependent on refineries whose feedstock comes “utterly” from the Persian Gulf. Formerly, the Marsden Pt refinery, near Whangārei, drew crude oil from “a host of different sources”, providing a buffer New Zealand no longer has.
Jones has been intensely critical of the previous Government’s approval in 2022 of the mothballing of Marsden Pt, saying it “fatally wounded” New Zealand’s fuel resilience.
He said rebuilding the refinery was prohibitively expensive. However, he noted that the facility still holds the largest fuel‑storage capacity in the country, with about 300 million litres in use and the potential to nearly double that, which he said was significant for Northland and national fuel security.
He said New Zealand will need to store more fuel in future to counter the oil companies’ “just‑in‑time” model, which has reduced resilience.
Public concerns over apparent price gouging have dominated discussions about higher fuel prices this week.
While Northland pump prices have generally tracked the national increases, the beachside community of Mangawhai continues to enjoy some of the country’s lowest fuel prices – an oddity Gaspy director Mike Newton has reportedly put down to the opening of a self-service Gull station there last September.
“They’ve had it really good, pretty much since then. They’ve just steadily been 20 cents lower than that national average, which is pretty impressive, especially for Northland. I don’t think they’ve generally had it that good,” Newton told RNZ early last month.
Shane Jones says NZ can increase its fuel resilience by making more of the storage capacity still available at the former Marsden Pt oil refinery site. Photo / NZME
The Northern Advocate spoke with representatives from the other two stations in the township, neither of whom wanted to comment on whether the local price competition would continue regardless of the overseas situation and how that might affect supply and pricing in New Zealand.
This week’s Gaspy data shows an interesting turn among the three stations, which on Tuesday, all featured on a list of the country’s top five cheapest stations.
Mobil Mangawhai had the nation’s cheapest 91 at $2.32 per litre, followed by g.a.s. Mangawhai at $2.35, and Gull Mangawhai, $2.40.
By this morning, the lineup had changed, with Gull Mangawhai leading the list at $2.40 per litre for 91, with Mobil Mangawhai in second place at $2.45 per litre. G.a.s. Mangawhai had dropped away, having upped its price for 91 by 20 cents overnight to $2.55 per litre, albeit the increase is partly offset for True Rewards loyalty scheme members, who currently get 15 cents off per litre.
Northland’s popular 90 Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza fishing competition has added to the increased demand for fuel.
Meanwhile, in the Whangārei district, where more than 30 verified fuel sites make for one of the most diverse and dense fuel networks in regional New Zealand, the cheapest fuel on offer on Wednesday was at New World ($2.62 per litre for unleaded 91). Many other suppliers were at least 30 cents more expensive.
At Kaitāia in the Far North, unleaded 91 ranged between $2.75 and $2.92 per litre.
Mobil Kaitāia station, which a staff member told the Northland Age had increased its prices this week by about 10c across its range of fuels, ran out of unleaded 91 and diesel for part of the day on Wednesday.
The staffer told the Northland Age the shortage was because of a trucking delay in the morning and had been boosted by this week’s 90 Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza event, which draws a huge crowd of out-of-town fishers every year.
At Ahipara, 13km southwest of Kaitāia, the only fuel retailer, g.a.s, was today charging $3.08 per litre.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.