Filling your car up in Minyip is closer to becoming a reality with $100,000 of federal government funding to go towards a petrol station for the town after two years without one.
The news was announced at a Tuesday meeting of Yarriambiack Shire Council in which the details of the $1 million allocated for community projects in the area through round three of the Drought Community Support Program were discussed.
Mayor Graeme Massey said the petrol station was good news for Minyip and would help residents while also keeping business in the town.
“It would make an enormous difference for a town like that because there is currently no fuel outlet,” he said.
“Currently you have to pop in the car and drive somewhere else to get petrol.”
Cr Massey said the 24/7 unmanned fuel outlet would cost about $180,000, with funds having also been raised through community fundraising efforts, including regular pot and parma nights with raffles organised through Minyip Pub and donation tins around the town.
Previously the former president of the Minyip Progress Association Keith Daniells said in August last year that the state government had turned down a grant for the facility.
Cr Massey said the only thing waiting now before construction of the site was finalising the site with Grain-Corp and VicTrack but that was only about process.
Bonney Energy has been contracted as the fuel distributor and Cr Massey said the Minyip Progress Association, who had campaigned for the facility, had worked out a deal with the provider to receive some type of rebate or royalties from sales.
There will be two fuel containers – one for diesel and one for unleaded.
In 2017 Minyip’s only station closed after BP Advance sold Hopetoun, Murtoa and Minyip fuel outlets to Lowes Petroleum.
The new ownership required fuel outlets to adhere to a new Environment Protection Authority ruling that no fuel pumps could be on the street because a spill could leak into drains.
The changes meant the fuel outlet could not operate at its existing site and was forced to close.
In the interim residents reported having to drive up round trips of up to 43 kilometres to fill up their tanks.
The plan for the new Minyip petrol station. Source: MINYIP FUEL
Eligibility for the Drought Community Program funding requires two years below average rainfall and 17 per cent or greater reliance on agriculture in the workforce.
Yarriambiack Shire Council has a 24 per cent reliance on the agricultural workforce and according to the Bureau of Meteorology, Hopetoun and Waracknabeal have had consistently below average rainfall.
Other projects that will receive funding from the program include a new op shop for Woomelang, gym and stadium upgrades for Waracknabeal Stadium and installing an accommodation cabin at Yapeet camping.
Extracted from Ararat Advertiser