Napier mayor gets onto his e-scooter as councils brace for fuel crisis

Napier Mayor Richard McGrath is using his e-scooter as much as possible to conserve fuel.

Napier mayor Richard McGrath has switched some of his daily commuting to his e-scooter as the region’s councils monitor and plan for the possibility of fuel shortages.

McGrath, who doesn’t have a council car, said it was a good time for people to consider different forms of transport.

“I am using my e-scooter as much as possible. Napier is a very easy place to get around with a bike or scooter, and on a nice day, you can’t beat it.”

He said exploring the new bus routes could be a fun school holiday activity and that many council staff were carpooling, or travelling by bus or bike.

“We are good at adapting to change.”

He said the council was working through a business continuity plan, preparing for a range of scenarios and monitoring supply.

“Our priority is to make sure we keep delivering core services and activities for our community.

“We will keep working with central government with regular internal meetings to review our approach.”

In Hastings, the council’s chief risk officer, Regan Smith, said it had not been told by suppliers that there would be supply problems in the short term.

“We continue to monitor the impact of higher fuel prices and adjust this guidance as required.

“Most of the council’s fuel use supports the delivery of essential services.”

In Wairoa, the impact of the fuel cost crisis driven by the Iran war is already affecting both the isolated community and its council.

Mayor Craig Little said the town had limited public transport and its industries, businesses and local communities were reliant on fuel.

“We know there are many in our community already impacted by the rising costs and fuel limitations.

“In line with the Government’s approach, rising fuel costs and uncertainty of fuel supply are a worldwide and nationwide concern.”

He said that although the council had no formal restrictions in place, it was encouraging fuel efficiency.

“The council is monitoring the situation and planning to understand how this could affect our ability to deliver services to the community, and the impact on staff.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is also planning to manage any potential impacts.

A spokesperson said its priority was to keep critical services running, while also managing costs if fuel prices continued to rise.

“We are working alongside other councils to explore collective measures that could help reduce the overall impact.”

It had already put short-term measures in place to help ease the pressure, including using electric vehicles wherever possible for work-related travel while minimising any out-of-region non-essential travel.

Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley said he was worried about the impacts that fuel supply and prices were having on the community and wider region.

“Whether it’s travelling to work, getting produce to processing plants or port, or products to our stores that we buy, everything is being impacted right now.”

He said there was a lot to work on around managing the impacts and that the longer it went on, the more urgent the response would need to be.

The district’s fuel supplies were normal, although cost was a concern.

CHB District Council was working with neighbouring councils, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence and its contractors to monitor fuel supply issues, aligned with the Government’s phased fuel plan.

“Diesel will be a key focus,” a council spokesperson said.

The council was working to reduce fuel use, including in its vehicles.

“This includes online meetings and reducing non-essential travel. We will continue to use vehicles for key operational requirements.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.