It's been a long wait between refills but Kaitangata residents will soon be able to top up their petrol tanks at their town's own petrol station.
McKeown Petroleum has begun work on a new single-lane dual-pump self-service petrol station in Clyde Tce.
McKeown Petroleum project manager Rick Jopson said work on the $500,000 station should be completed just before Christmas and was part of the company's continued support of local communities in the South Island.
"This station will join the 37 others we have built from Kaikoura to Riverton,'' Mr Jopson said.
"The owner, Ken McKeown, has gotten in behind the local champion for development in Kaitangata - Evan Dick's plans to support business growth in Kaitangata - and that's why we are here.''
McKeown sales and marketing manager Paul Lindsay said the new station fitted in nicely with the company's plans for the region.
"We felt the opportunity was there and we think it will increase the traffic flows through the town as well as we promote the location through our partner organisations such as the [New Zealand] Motor Home Association,'' he said.
In keeping with the company's policy, the fuel would be the same price as at all of its other rural locations.
Vickie Dick, co-owner of the Crescent Bar and Grill, which neighbours the fuel station site, said it had been a long time since Kaitangata residents had been able to buy petrol locally, and she was happy construction of the station had started.
