For the past three months, the small community of Trangie in New South Wales has been without a petrol station. The sudden closure of the only fuel stop in the town has left locals with no option but to drive a 70-kilometre round trip for petrol or depend on the kindness of others. Many people in Trangie have been left feeling frustrated, and former resident Anthony Lees has taken it upon himself to help the community by delivering fuel to the town twice a week.
“It pains me to see people in a situation they shouldn’t be in,” Mr. Lees said. “I can’t fix the problem, but I can ease the pain.”
Mr. Lees has been delivering several jerry cans of fuel to the town on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He fills them up on the way out and posts about it on Facebook to let locals know. “It’s not often I take a full jerry can home,” he said.
The closure of the petrol station has not only affected locals but also truck drivers passing through the town. Local cafe owner Julie Berry said that since the station’s closure, they had lost almost 60% of business in the mornings as trucks were no longer stopping.
“It’s terrible, and it’s having a domino effect,” she said. “It just doesn’t affect us; it affects the pub across the road because truckies are not stopping of a night to go over and have counter meals or come here for breakfast.”
Ms. Berry worries that the town will get a reputation for not having fuel, and people will pass the town by. “Everybody says 10 days, 10 days. We’ve heard this story since December 3. It’s just getting beyond a joke,” Ms. Berry said.
The delay in getting a new petrol station has been caused by negotiations between Transport for NSW, their contractor UGL Regional Linx, the incoming proprietor, and Narromine Shire Council. However, Narromine Shire Council Mayor Craig Davies announced that Transport for NSW granted approval for the construction of a new station to go ahead. He added that a temporary station would be in place within the next month.
“A lot of people are buying fuel for their neighbours and helping out where they can,” Mr. Lees said. “We’ve got some people in town who only have a local licence and are not able to drive out of town, so we’ve got locals who are putting their hand up to drive them to Narromine to fill their car up.”
The community in Trangie has been pulling together to get things done. However, Mr. Lees began to tear up when describing the frustration behind getting a temporary site for the town. “The community, as a whole, is losing hope we’ll ever get a fuel stop back,” he said.
It is a situation that has left many in Trangie feeling frustrated and concerned. However, with a new petrol station on the way, the town can look forward to being able to fill up on fuel once again.