Iran war: Auckland islands’ petrol pain - jerry cans, hard choices and $4 fuel
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
With petrol on Waiheke a cent away from $4 a litre and Great Barrier already past it, gulf islanders are bracing for the sharp end of the latest fuel shock.
At one of Waiheke’s three petrol stations on Monday, residents were topping up tanks and filling jerry cans, trying not to hoard but wanting enough in reserve in case prices rose further or supply tightened.
John Farmer filled two containers at BP Oneroa with diesel for his tractor so he could keep getting up the hill to his cows.
“I don't want to stock up too much, because it would be unfair. But I think the thing is that I can just get enough, so I can get up to the cows.”
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Farmer said he feared the situation would worsen.
“There's no doubt about it. Business is going to struggle and a lot of businesses will go to the wall.”
The latest shock is landing hardest in places where people already pay a premium simply because of where they live.
On Monday, 91 octane was $3.99 a litre at Waiheke stations in Oneroa and Onetangi, compared with $3.20 at Pak’nSave Botany. Premium 95 was $4.23 on the island, compared with $3.46 in Botany. On Aotea Great Barrier Island, 91 was $4.52 a litre.
For island communities, the rising price of fuel is not just a painful number on the forecourt sign. It flows through almost everything; getting to work, transporting goods, keeping businesses running and, ultimately, the cost of living.
Retiree John McLean is hoping the international conflict eases quickly. Otherwise, he says, everyone will have to start trimming back.
“It's bound to start biting us in the bum shortly.”
Waiheke local board chair Kylee Mathews said the latest spike underscored why the island had been trying to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
A protest calling for free public transport is planned for Wednesday morning.
“What we want to do is become a resilient, self sustaining, independent and net carbon positive community. We want to be an example of what Aotearoa climate leadership can look like.”
If Waiheke is exposed, Great Barrier is more so.
The remote island, about a 4½-hour ferry trip from the city, has no public transport. Great Barrier local board member Izzy Fordham said that meant residents had little choice but to absorb the cost.
“It’s tough, really tough for people … it’s going to really start impacting big time on families.”
The effects would spread well beyond the pump, she said, because businesses also faced higher costs to ship or fly goods to the island.
“Our businesses are really trying to hold their prices, but that's not going to be sustainable at all. It's that wicked domino effect.”
Despite that, there was no targeted relief package for isolated communities in the Government’s fuel crisis response.
“It would be really nice to see the Government step up and just say, ‘OK, this is what we can offer’.”
Local MP and Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said her party had written to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon seeking a response that included free public transport and targeted help for rural, isolated and low-income households.
She said those on the islands were especially vulnerable because extra transport and freight costs were quickly passed on to residents.
On Waiheke, residents filling up on Monday were resigned rather than hopeful about any easy fix.
“It’s a very complex problem,” said Shane Rosemeyer.
Rosemeyer described the prices as “horrendously expensive” and said he expected to use his car less.
“It's a little bit out of our control. I guess we just have to adapt to what is and not panic too much. Ride a bike a bit more. And so that is what it is.”
For businesses, the calculations are already changing.
Mark Anderson, who manages a landscaping business, said fuel use had dipped only because the drought had slowed grass growth and reduced the need for mowing.
“The bonus for us is that we're in a drought at the moment, so the grass is slowed down, so using a bit less fuel.”
Even so, he said price rises for customers could be coming.
“Everyone's got their fingers crossed, hoping that it improves.”
Michael Keyworth, chef at the Island Frenchie food truck, said produce prices were also creeping up, though they had not yet passed those costs on.
“Everyone complains about the price of petrol.”
At neighbouring food truck I Love Crepes, owner Nathan, who did not want his surname used, said one of the frustrations was that prices rarely seemed to retreat once they climbed.
He also questioned why fuel that had already travelled halfway around the world became so much more expensive once it had to cross the Hauraki Gulf.
“It doesn't really make that much sense to me, and seems unreasonable.”
That suspicion is not just anecdotal.
In 2024, the Commerce Commission investigated fuel pricing on Waiheke and found the added cost of supplying petrol to the island, particularly freight, accounted for less than one-third of the difference between Waiheke and Auckland prices. It said weak competition between Waiheke’s three retailers was a key factor.
That means the islands’ fuel burden is not just about distance, but about alternatives and limited competition.
The pressure is also being felt in public transport and freight services.
Fullers is the main service provider for sailings to Waiheke because the island does not sit within the public transport model ‒ a longstanding frustration for residents as return tickets already cost more than $60.
“Like all major transport operators, we are closely monitoring the impact of fluctuating global fuel prices on our ferry operations,” a spokesperson said.
“Our priority is to provide reliable and sustainable bus and ferry services, and the escalating fuel price situation has had a material impact on our operations. Despite the significant increase to fuel prices, there are no current plans to make changes to our pricing.”
It has, however, already meant reduced sailings. It reverted to its off-peak timetable over the weekend, slightly earlier than planned, and the spokesperson said more timetable changes would be made on some gulf routes to ensure a reliable and sustainable service.