Clinton's sole service station has closed and been placed in liquidation because the owners could not afford to replace fuel tanks recently removed from the business premises.
D. W. Holden Ltd, which was trading as the town's BP fuel outlet, was in the Holden family for nearly half a century.
Its two directors, Desley and Roger Grant, placed the company into liquidation on July 1, three days after the business stopped trading.
Five staff, including Mrs Grant, lost their jobs.
Underground fuel tanks owned by BP were removed last month because of environmental concerns and Mrs Grant had told the Otago Daily Times at the time they had plans to install new tanks from another supplier.
She confirmed on Thursday the business was in the hands of liquidators.
"We just couldn't afford to put the new tanks in the ground."
She was very disappointed for the town and for her family.
The nearest available fuel supply is either at Gore, 40km south, or Balclutha, 30km north.
Joint liquidator Gus Jenkins, of Insolvency Management Ltd, in Dunedin, said there were plans for an on-site auction, either late this month or in early August, to help recover some of the money owed by the company.
