Cut price fuel supplier Waitomo announces first Wellington site in Upper Hutt

Thursday, 24 January 2019

Waitomo Group are set to open a new competitively priced petrol station in Wellington. (First published October 18, 2018).

Hutt Valley motorists look set to get some relief at the petrol pump ahead of their Wellington counterparts

Hamilton-based fuel supplier Waitomo Group has announced it will open a petrol station in Upper Hutt in May, in a quest to bring increased price competition to the region.

Having already confirmed that a new station will open in Wellington this year, Waitomo Group managing director Jimmy Ormsby said the Fergusson Drive station was scheduled to be operational within a few months.

Waitomo petrol stations are supplied by fuel giant Mobil.

'Motorists in the Hutt Valley and Wellington have been hurting at the pump for far too long because of the lack of any real price competition. That's something we can put right.

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AA principal advisor Mark Stockdale expected Waitomo's entry into Upper Hutt to help drag down the price at nearby fuel competitors.

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Waitomo Group managing director Jimmy Ormsby announced the company's first Wellington site in October. (file photo)

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'It's what we do – we only ever offer customers the very best price we can – our Waitomo price – not the price we think we can get away with,' Ormsby said.

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy said he was pleased the petrol retailer was coming to Upper Hutt, 'adding competition to the fuel marketplace'.

Waitomo, the third-generation fuel company says its expansion across the North Island shows the petrol market is operating competitively.

AA principal advisor Mark Stockdale expected Waitomo's entry into Upper Hutt would likely put pressure on other petrol retailers to rethink their own prices.

'What usually happens when they enter is that it drags the prices down in that suburb or area … it is typically confined to the geographic area though.

'You wouldn't expect to see them [prices] change in Lower Hutt.'

With resource consent already granted, the Fergusson Drive site is scheduled to open in May as part of Waitomo's national expansion programme.

'We're going to disrupt New Zealand's retail fuel market … We recognised that the Hutt Valley deserved a fairer deal and greater competition, and we're stoked to deliver them our Waitomo price,' Ormsby said.

Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy was pleased to hear his city would be one of the first to benefit from the group's increased nationwide presence.

'It's good for the region that a new petrol retailer is coming to Upper Hutt and Wellington cities—adding competition to the fuel marketplace.'