Petrol station start imminent

It's been eight years since Arrowtown residents have been able to buy fuel in the village, but petrol pumps are expected to be operating in the town again in November.

Work to build an unmanned fuel station on the corner of Berkshire and Wiltshire Sts would hopefully begin this week, RD Petroleum managing director Don Harvey said.

''It's a long process and really it's just been a case of finalising the various other consents with the Queenstown Lakes District Council.

''The tender for the installation has been let ... to Mansfield Installations Ltd ... so we're just waiting to get our final ducks in a line and we can crank into it.''

Mr Harvey said the approved resource consent came with several conditions, including the requirement for building, noise management and engineering consents.

RD Petroleum was waiting for a couple of those to be approved - which would hopefully happen this week, he said.

In 2007, pumps were removed from a former petrol station on Berkshire St.

In 2011, Makaraka Estate Ltd bought the site and lodged consent for a $2.6million development, including re-establishing petrol pumps, but the application was later put on hold before the section was put on the market in 2012.

Last year, RD Petroleum announced its plans for an unmanned fuel station on an empty site on the corner of Berkshire and Wiltshire Sts.

The company was granted consent after a resource consent hearing in November.

But an 11th-hour appeal in February by 11 Arrowtown residents sought to have the planned $750,000 development put on hold.

The appeal was withdrawn after negotiations.

Mr Harvey said that pending consents, work would begin on an acoustic fence on the boundary with the neighbours before the site was cleared to enable the installation of the two underground tanks, two pumps and a canopy.

''Work certainly will start on the site this month and we would be hoping to have completion now probably creeping into early November.''

Mr Harvey said issues with neighbours - largely based on perceived noise levels - had been resolved.

''We'll do the best we can to mitigate any issues for the neighbours.

''I think everyone's comfortable that the process moving forward is going to mitigate any issues for them.''

The station was originally proposed to be open 24 hours but, following negotiations with neighbours, RD Petroleum agreed to close it between 11pm and 5am.

tracey.roxburgh@odt.co.nz