Taking action: Some of the members of the Pongaroa Fuel Stop committee at the Tararua District Council.
The days of Pongaroa residents seeing neighbours driving past with five 20 litre containers of fuel in their back seats may soon be gone as the community gears up to build a 24/7 fuel stop.
Two years ago when Pongaroa lost its only fuel outlet, the community realised it had to be in control of its own destiny.
"A public meeting was called 18 months ago and we received overwhelming support to do something," said Dave Monk, chairman of the Pongaroa Fuel Stop committee.
It took the group 10 months to secure the land needed for the unmanned fuel stop and after discussions with four companies, Allied Petroleum were selected as partner.
"They are full steam ahead," Mr Monk said.
With between 100 and 120 people in the Pongaroa township and no fuel outlet, in the past two years fuel has been sold by a number of residents when people turn up in dire straits.
"Although it was illegal, we did it, but we can't carry on," Mr Monk told Tararua District councillors.
"Route 52 is a very popular tourist route, with fuel available in Masterton and Waipukurau, but tourists think there will be fuel in Pongaroa and they get caught out."
In need of extra funding, the group asked councillors to help them the same way community organisations in Eketahuna and Norsewood had been in the past.
"The precedent has been set," Mr Monk said.
But before council decided how they would help out, councillor Jim Crispin, who travels the district as a rural real estate agent, had put his hand up to be the first debenture holder for the scheme.
"I'm there with a cheque, because I totally support this venture," he said.
Fellow councillor Ernie Christison quickly followed and said he'd be the second debenture holder.
Committee member Mark Wheeler said the fuel stop will make between $20,000 and $28,000 a year - with $10,000 needed to service the site. Fuel will be sold at the same price as it is in Pahiatua.
However, because the venture will make a profit, the group has come up against a brick wall when approaching charities for funding.
"Social enterprises like us are organisations midway between not-for-profit and normal profit businesses and we will use our profits for the social good of our community," he said.
"By making our profits available to local community groups we want to get them off the benefit treadmill. But we face a huge range of challenges and while the Government has established a working group to help groups such as ours, no changes will be made in time to benefit our group. Meanwhile, the Department of Internal Affairs are very interested in how we are going."
The committee have made a funding application to the Eastern and Central Community Trust and the Central Energy Grants scheme and are preparing an application for funding from Infinity, but they don't meet the criteria for Lotteries grants.
Noel Murphy said the project is priced at $555,134, with $245,000 Pongaroa's component. But despite contributions from the community and an interest free loan of $80,500 from Allied, the group need a "bit more".
"We will be looking to cut our costs and we prefer to use local contractors for the work if we can," he said. "This is probably the smallest Allied installation in New Zealand and it's now up to us to raise more money."
Mr Wheeler said the committee have a shortfall of between $78,000 and $140,000.
"Until you start digging a hole you don't know what your costs are," he said. "We could service loans but we are asking council to financially support us."
Publican Gowan Green is the group's treasurer and she explained to councillors the impact no fuel in the village had on the lives of everyone.
"We have shearers and casual workers who have to detour into Dannevirke to get fuel," she said. "It's either that or go to a local farmer for $20 of fuel to get them to work."
Police, like Dave Kirk, can be expected to travel up to 300 kilometres when they need local fuel and tourists sometimes think fuel is available at Pongaroa.
"But in true rural hospitality we make sure they are fuelled up. Route 52 is a unique part of our district. It's a driver's paradise, they love coming out our way, but camper vans have to detour up to 130 kilometres to fill up.
"Our community groups will be more secure and less dependent on other funding when they can apply to us for funds."
Ms Green said she's noticed a slight decrease of traffic on Route 52 because of the lack of a fuel outlet and believes in order to entice young, new residents to the district a fuel stop is essential.
Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis said the committee have done the hard yards, with 100 per cent support from the Pongaroa community.
"Formally request an amount from council," she told them. "There is the option of a grant, or an interest-free loan or a combination of both."