Pumps go off as fuel sales run out of gas

IF it's fuel you're after, keep driving past Top Town Fuel in River Street.

The small service station at the roundabout pumped its last litre of unleaded this week, with owners Sandra and Doug Jenkins giving up on trying to make a decent dollar from selling fuel.

“It's just not economical any more,” Doug said.

“We're making the same amount on a litre of fuel that we did in the '80s.”

And as of July 1, new regulations for monitoring underground petroleum storage systems (UPSS) mean small service stations are faced with more paperwork and large bills to keep petrol flowing.

“They are literally under the pump,” Service Stations Association spokesperson Colin Long said.

He said that if a service station is near a river or bore, groundwater monitoring wells with a price tag of up to $20,000 will be made compulsory.

“It's just another blow for small business, stamping out price competition,” he said.

“The little guys are needed to keep the big boys honest.”

New state legislation was introduced by the Department of Environment and Climate Change after it was identified that leaking storage systems are 'very common' and a significant source of soil, groundwater and surface water contamination.

While Maclean is fortunate enough to have two more petrol stations, some small NSW country towns are not so lucky, with their only fuel outlet being forced to shut down.

“We are hearing of single-station towns that will not have a petrol station to fill up their ambulance or police cars,” Colin said

He also said it was not as easy as 'turning the pumps off' for those stations either, as they required proper decommissioning that included filling the tanks with an inner foam.

“The writing is on the wall for small stations,” Doug Jenkins reckons.

“Luckily our outdoor supplies shop is doing well and the fuel sales won't be missed too much.”