It's been a major undertaking, but, after an eight-year wait, petrol will start flowing in Arrowtown from today.
Finishing touches were being put on RD Petroleum's $1million petrol station, on the corner of Wiltshire and Berkshire Sts yesterday afternoon before the official opening at 5am today.
The company's managing director, Don Harvey, said the station featured two pumps with four refuelling points selling 91 and 95-octane petrol and diesel fuel, for ''the same as Queenstown prices''.
At present, most petrol stations in the resort are selling 91 for 202.9c, 95 for 211.9c and diesel for 128.9c.
Mr Harvey said it was ''fantastic'' to see the project come to fruition, describing it as a ''long, hard road''.
''We were pretty determined - I'm just absolutely excited at how it looks and how well it's come up.
''We've used, obviously, a lot of local trades people and they've done a fantastic job.''
RD Petroleum first gained consent for the unmanned station in January, after a hearing in November.
While that decision was appealed to the Environment Court, the company and the 11 appellants reached agreement after negotiations, with work beginning on the site in August.
It's the first time since 2007 Arrowtown residents have had access to fuel in the village, after pumps were removed from a former station on Berkshire St.
In 2011, Makaraka Estate Ltd bought that site and lodged consent for a $2.6 million development, which included re-establishing petrol pumps, but that application was later put on hold before the section was put on the market in 2012.
Mr Harvey said he planned to enlist some high school pupils to be on hand for the next few weeks to help motorists and residents with the self-service station.
While it was originally planned as a 24-hour station, following negotiations with neighbours it would close between 11pm and 5am.
