News of this month’s closure of the fuel station in Cook St, Waipukurau brought dismay to many Central Hawke’s Bay drivers who had come to rely on the facility for its low prices.

Some took to Facebook to bemoan the loss, and there were suggestions that perhaps the site would be re-opened under a new operator.

The suggestions were spot on, and the new operator, taking over the lease on June 26, is Allied Petroleum.

Area sales manager for Allied Petroleum, Brett Collier, says there is some work to do before the fuel station re-opens to the public, including upgrading and rebranding, but he’s hoping the work will take “weeks rather than months” and is looking forward to announcing an opening date.

Allied Petroleum is no stranger to Central Hawke’s Bay. Allied’s parent company, HW Richardson, owns Farmers Transport and currently operates a truck fuel stop from the Farmers Transport yard in Waipawa.

Across Central Hawke’s Bay and Tararua, Allied Petroleum has fuel stops in Pōrangahau, Dannevirke, Pahiatua and Pongaroa where local residents were concerned about their lack of a fueling station, so Allied Petroleum came on board and has a joint venture fuel stop in partnership with the small rural community.

Allied’s owner, HW Richardson Group, is one of New Zealand’s largest privately-owned transport companies, operating 48 companies over six sectors from petroleum, concrete and quarrying to transport, contracting and environmental.

The company history dates back to the late 1800s, when Samuel Richardson was the first of the Richardson family in New Zealand to go into transport, purchasing a livery and stables business in Wyndham in the South Island.

HW Richardson Group, founded by Bill Richardson, has built on this family legacy. Bill, who died in 2015, was also the founder of Invercargill’s iconic Bill Richardson Transport World - the largest private automotive collection of its type in the world, with a collection of more than 300 vehicles.

Allied Petroleum has fuel stops throughout the South Island and is currently building on its network in the North Island.

Brett Collier says: “We already have many clients in the CHB area: trucking, commercial fleets, contractors and orchards, a lot of whom use the truck stop in the Farmers Transport yard. We wanted to expand and create a fuel stop that was more accessible to the public and also offered petrol sales.

“The Cook St stop will be upgraded to include AdBlue diesel exhaust additive that reduces emissions. It’s increasingly popular and used in all newer trucks and tractors.

“Our fuel stops are known for being substantially cheaper than ‘the bigger guys’ for the public, and GST-registered businesses that have an account with us can get an added discount on Allied Petroleum Fuel cards”.

“Account holders can also get on-site tanks for farm and commercial deliveries. We also accommodate trailer tanks”.

Brett says there will be something special planned for the opening of the Allied Petroleum fuel stop, in the near future.

“Because HWR is a family-oriented business, it’s about helping the community as well, getting cheaper fuel into rural communities and making a difference where we can.”