Vava’u struck with benzene shortage at busiest time [1]
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - 19:28. Updated on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 - 20:08.
Vava’u has been struck with a serious shortage of benzene this week forcing tourism operators and businesses to look for other sources of fuel - or to cut back heavily on their operations.
It is the second year in a row that a fuel shortage has hit at the busiest time of the year for tourism.
Tour operators say they were given little warnings of the low stock and no time to bring in their own supplies from Tongatapu. One operator said he had managed to find old fuel stocks left in Neiafu from last year and, if not for that, he would not be able to meet his commitments to incoming visitors.
Benzene
Paula Taufa, Pacific Energy Ltd's Tonga manager, said today he expected the shortage to ease off tomorrow when the MV ‘Otuanga’ofa arrives at Neiafu with 50 x 200 litres drums of benzene. Pacific Energy owns the only fuel depot at Toula, Vava’u, and is the sole supplier of fuel to Vava’u. He said that the shortage in Vava’u is specifically only benzene, “There is plenty of diesel and oil.”
Paula said that a Pacific Energy tanker was scheduled to arrive in Vava’u every three weeks, but unfortunately there was a disruption to the service, delaying the departure of the tanker from Fiji. The tanker is now expected to arrive in Vava’u at the weekend - but because it will not be allowed to unload on Sunday there will be further delay in distribution.
Fuel depot
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Tourism, Vava’u, is convinced that the Pacific Energy’s fuel deport in Toula, Vava’u is too small for the needs of the community.
He said that at the beginning of July there were already signs that Vava’u was running short of fuel. Some of the service stations were turning customers away because they were rationing their supplies.
Vava’u since the end of June had hosted three big national events which attracted people from other parts of Tonga and from overseas. The Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga annual conference was held from 29 June to 3 July, followed by King Tupou VI 58th birthday celebration from 4-7 July, and the Vava’u Agricultural Show last week.
In addition, the whale watching season has started and the many tourists in Vava’u who expect to go out on boats over the next few days might be disappointed. No figures are available at this stage on the number of whale watching bookings that have been cancelled already.
The manager of Dolphin Pacific Diving, Alistair Coldrick, told Matangi Tonga he was concerned that three out of his four boats would stop running if new fuel supplies did not arrive soon.
Fuel shortages cost tourism operators thousands of dollars a day, causing disappointed tourists go home disappointed.
"To add insult to injury no one seems to be able to give us a straight and honest answer to when the fuel will come and if we will be able to get a regular and sufficient supply to reflect the increase in demand," he said.
"12 months on from last years fiasco and we find ourselves in exactly the same position. Somebody, somewhere, should be able to answer the question as to why we are here again and what will be done to resolve the situation?"
Alistair said that a growing number of vehicles on the road had also had an impact, but this should have been accounted for.
"At the busiest time of the year for tourism the government / energy companies have failed the people of Vava'u and the businesses that support the Kingdom."