If you whakapapa to this town, you could get 25c a litre off fuel

People who whakapapa to the Hawke’s Bay town of Wairoa are getting a reprieve at the pump amid soaring fuel costs.

As a result of post-settlement governance entity Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa investing in the merger between independent petrol station chains NPD and Gull, members will get 25 cents a litre off fuel at Gull stations.

The entity invested in NPDGull using its commercial arm, E Tipu. The deal is “commercially sensitive” and E Tipu said it would not be revealing how much the investment was.

Tātau Tātau commercial chief executive Aayden Clarke said that although the entity had a long-term investment approach, it was “always looking for things that can improve our people’s lives”.

With fuel costs around New Zealand soaring, securing members a discount was “one of them”, Clarke said.

“We do a lot of stuff behind the scenes, but this is a really rewarding one that genuinely has a tangible benefit to provide for our families that need it now.

“We’re super proud of this one.”

NPDGull was formed in July. Clarke said Tātau Tātau had partnered with Ngāi Te Rangi and Tauhara North No 2 Trust in the investment.

He said the discount was for members only. Membership is for people who whakapapa to an iwi or hapū of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa, with whāngai and legally adopted people also eligible.

Clarke said members should email their first and last names and a contact phone number and their details would be passed on to Gull.

The discount would continue as long as the investment did, Clarke said.

The trust recently announced a transitional board to oversee E Tipu following the collective resignation of its five commercial directors.

Lee Taharangi Gray has been proposed as transitional chair, alongside directors Rangi Manuel and Benji King, with trustee Moana Rongo as trustee adviser.

Outgoing board director Shayne Walker told Local Democracy Reporting last week that directors resigned because shareholders wanted or expected things that didn’t line up with what the board was legally required to do.

E Tipu recently bought Hawke’s Bay cider and drinks producer Zeffer.

The acquisition brings drinks manufacturing into E Tipu’s horticulture business, taking the group beyond growing and packing fruit and into processing it.

Zeffer continues to operate from the Fernhill site it bought nine years ago and will maintain continuity for its existing team, customers and partners.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.