“That would have had an immediate impact but there was no reason for prices to be that high,” Parham said.
“With another unmanned operation there, such as Waitomo, you know you’re going to get a good deal in the long term.
“Where there is competition, prices come down.
“It’s tried and tested, and we’ve seen it across the country when we’ve entered a new market.”
According to the Gaspy app, at 10am on Monday, February 3, the cheapest Unleaded 91 fuel in Whanganui was $2.62 (NPD).
It was $2.66 in Palmerston North (New World) and $2.73 in New Plymouth (New World).
Having a site in Whanganui helped create a “minimum credible network” for Waitomo, Pareham said.
“That’s more from the perspective of our commercial card customers – they can go from point A to B and know they can refuel with confidence across our network.”
The closest Waitomo site to Whanganui is in Bulls, with others in Palmerston North and Foxton.
There are 95 sites around New Zealand.
Parham said the Mobil station in Whanganui East, which has been closed since a car crashed into it last October, had been “on our wider radar” when Waitomo was looking for sites.
The new Waitomo site is on the corner of Heads Rd and Carlton Ave.
“This opportunity came up and we felt it was a stronger proposition,” he said.
“It’s funny, you look in a city or a town and there is nothing [available] for years and then, all of a sudden, a couple of opportunities jump out.
“It happened in Nelson. We looked for five years and now we have three sites there.”
This story has been amended since first published to note that the closest Waitomo outlet to Whanganui is in Bulls.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
