Selwyn Times: May 30, 2018
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4 Wednesday <strong>May</strong> <strong>30</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
News<br />
SELWYN TIMES<br />
HORNCASTLE ARENA<br />
June 29 - July 1 10AM - 5PM<br />
TICKETS ONLINE: starhomeshow.kiwi<br />
District’s fuel prices reach record high<br />
Consumers<br />
warned cost of<br />
food could rise<br />
• By Julia Evans<br />
UNITED STATES president<br />
Donald Trump is being blamed<br />
for the record high price of petrol<br />
in the district..<br />
Some service stations were<br />
charging $2.29.9 a litre for<br />
91-octane petrol, the record high<br />
which was reached last week,<br />
while others are charging slightly<br />
less at $2.25.9.<br />
Infometrics economist Brad<br />
Olsen said the<br />
main reason<br />
was President<br />
Trump’s recent<br />
dealings<br />
in Iran.<br />
“The main<br />
driver is the<br />
Brad Olsen<br />
overseas price.<br />
West Texas<br />
Intermediate<br />
crude oil has shot up over the last<br />
couple of days and that’s largely<br />
because Trump and Iran has<br />
shaken up the playing field,” Mr<br />
Olsen said.<br />
President Trump announced<br />
recently that the US was walking<br />
away from the Iran nuclear deal<br />
organised between Russia, the<br />
United Kingdom, France, China<br />
and the US in 2015.<br />
The <strong>Selwyn</strong> <strong>Times</strong> tweeted<br />
President Trump for reaction. He<br />
did not respond.<br />
Fuel prices around the country<br />
hit record highs last week. There<br />
were reports of stations on<br />
Waiheke Island charging $2.51 a<br />
litre and $2.45 in Wanaka.<br />
In Auckland, prices were<br />
between $2.07 and $2.17 a<br />
litre.<br />
Mr Olsen said Canterbury was<br />
hit harder than Auckland due to<br />
the “Gull-effect,” caused by the<br />
introduction of the low priced<br />
Gull petrol stations in 2013.<br />
He said there was also a lack of<br />
competition between stations in<br />
Canterbury.<br />
And relief is not in sight.<br />
“We can’t really pick when<br />
they’ll go back down or if they’ll<br />
go back down . . . it will be interesting<br />
to see how prices change<br />
and regional discrepancies,” Mr<br />
Olsen said.<br />
There have been calls for the<br />
Government to address the issue.<br />
Minister of Energy and<br />
Resources Megan Woods said<br />
it is “very concerning” that<br />
Cantabrians are paying so much<br />
for petrol and it was clear the<br />
market is “not functioning as it<br />
should be.”<br />
“Obviously international<br />
events and the declining New<br />
Zealand dollar will have some<br />
role to play, but our focus is that<br />
people are paying a fair price,”<br />
she said.<br />
Dr Woods said the law is being<br />
changed to give the Commerce<br />
PRICE HIKE:<br />
Stations around<br />
the district<br />
are charging<br />
$2.29.9 per litre<br />
of 91-octane<br />
petrol.<br />
PHOTO: MARTIN<br />
HUNTER<br />
Commission the power to conduct<br />
market studies and compel<br />
the release of evidence to work<br />
out why petrol south of Wellington<br />
was much higher.<br />
Mr Olsen said it would<br />
have the biggest impact on<br />
lower income families, who<br />
would have to change their<br />
budgets drastically or change<br />
the way they travel.<br />
Red Bus chief executive Paul<br />
McNoe said it had not noticed<br />
an immediate increase in patronage.<br />
“But it is possible. The further<br />
it goes up and the longer it stays<br />
that high. It depends on people’s<br />
preference and their tolerance<br />
for prices. We’re always happy<br />
to welcome new customers,” he<br />
said.<br />
New Zealand Taxi Federation<br />
Canterbury president Stan Gane<br />
said the industry was “massively”<br />
impacted, but was not considering<br />
putting prices up.<br />
“We’ve changed most of the<br />
fleet in Christchurch to hybrid<br />
and are keeping prices as low as<br />
we possibly can, but every cent<br />
that fuel goes up is less wages<br />
and less groceries for staff,” he<br />
said.<br />
Mr Olsen said consumers<br />
could also expect to feel the<br />
brunt of petrol prices as freight<br />
companies would raise prices for<br />
retailers, who would likely pass it<br />
on to customers.<br />
“Largely we’ll see it in food<br />
prices. It will be interesting to<br />
see how much retailers put it up<br />
because consumers are going to<br />
get pretty annoyed with having<br />
to pay more for fuel as well as<br />
goods.”<br />
GOING AWAY THIS QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND?<br />
For those of you heading off for a break this long weekend please take<br />
the time to check real-time travel information before you head off and<br />
be prepared for increased traffic volumes.<br />
Drivers have two options for travel in the Upper<br />
South Island between Picton and Christchurch.<br />
• SH1 via Kaikōura is now open 24/7 but<br />
construction is ongoing (north and south)<br />
with delays and some single lanes.<br />
• The alternate Picton to Christchurch route<br />
via the Lewis Pass is open 24/7 (but check<br />
before travel as winter conditions may cause<br />
the Lewis Pass to be closed temporarily).<br />
Both routes will be busy so whichever one you<br />
choose the NZ Transport Agency advises you<br />
allow plenty of time for your trip, especially<br />
if you are catching a ferry or are on a tight<br />
schedule.<br />
The NZ Transport Agency encourages<br />
everyone heading off for a break to ‘know before<br />
you go’ and check the holiday hotspots map:<br />
www.nzta.govt.nz/hotspots. The map collates<br />
data from previous Queen’s Birthday Weekend<br />
journeys and advises on the best time to leave to<br />
avoid the rush.<br />
With the change in season it is also time to<br />
prepare for winter driving to stay safe:<br />
• Take the time to check your vehicle is in<br />
good condition – tyres/spare tyre, indicators,<br />
windshield wipers, lights<br />
• Be prepared by travelling with warm clothes,<br />
food, water and a fully charged cell phone<br />
• A flat battery is the most common cause<br />
of winter breakdowns. If it’s more than<br />
five years old it may struggle in the cold.<br />
Get it checked and replaced if necessary<br />
• Keep at least a quarter of a tank of fuel in<br />
case of any unexpected delays<br />
Drivers need to be patient, cautious and<br />
courteous. Take your time and be prepared<br />
for the unexpected.<br />
And remember, over holiday periods many<br />
drivers are on unfamiliar roads, so please<br />
be patient as we are all in this situation at<br />
some stage.<br />
HOW TO STAY UP TO DATE:<br />
• Plan your journey between Picton and<br />
Christchurch and get real-time information<br />
via www.nzta.govt.nz/p2c or call<br />
0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49).<br />
We recommend checking at least two hours<br />
before you travel and while on your trip<br />
• Check the MetService weather forecast<br />
before you head away