The Times-Age reported in May that local petrol prices for unleaded 91 were continuing to flirt with $3 per litre.
Now it appears that flirtation is becoming a full-blown affair.
This week, AA principal motoring affairs policy advisor Terry Collins told media that the price of a litre of petrol, which is now bobbing around $3, could soar to $3.50 by Christmas.
This rapid rise is partly the result of the government finally lifting its fuel tax subsidy at the beginning of July, after first introducing it in March last year when the war in Ukraine initially caused prices to spike and then extending it several times.
Collins suggested that the closure of the Marsden Refinery in Northland – New Zealand’s only oil refinery, which was decommissioned last year – has also contributed to the recent hike.
Online gas monitoring database Gaspy showed [as of Wednesday, September 20] that the average fuel price in New Zealand for unleaded 91 was $3, unleaded 95 $3.19, and diesel $2.37.
It is apparent that Wairarapa motorists are not exempt from the inflationary prices, with Masterton’s Chapel St Zed showing unleaded 91 at $3.09 per litre, unleaded 95 at $3.28 and diesel at $2.43.
At the relatively cheaper end of the scale, Masterton’s Pak ‘n Save fuel prices were showing as $2.87 per litre for unleaded 91, $3.06 for unleaded 95, and $2.24 for diesel.
On a similar note, Waitomo Masterton showed the same prices as Pak ‘n Save for unleaded 91 and diesel, and slightly less for unleaded 95 at $3.05 per litre.
Government can stop ✋ taking all their tax, every time fuel goes up government gets its cut. Our money is going down in value exports costing more and this government says they can’t do anything about it. Will change government to another party, we cannot keep going like this 😫.