PRESS
RELEASE
1
April 2005
For
immediate release
Rural
Women rail against petrol price hikes
Rural
Women New Zealand is concerned at the impact of
today's petrol price hikes on rural communities,
following the Government's 5c a litre increase in
fuel tax and 24 per cent increase in road-user charges
for light diesel vehicles.
While
town dwellers are smarting at today's price rises,
drivers in rural areas are the hardest hit by the
record fuel prices. Prices at the pumps in some
rural areas are up to 6.5 cents a litre higher than
in urban areas.
“This
will severely impact on rural communities,” says
Rural Women New Zealand President, Sherrill Dackers.
“The
effects of deregulation and the additional fuel
tax are compounded by the fact that 140 petrol stations
around New Zealand are closing, meaning people will
have to drive further to buy fuel.”
The
inequity of the cost of transport is also highlit
in a report published today by the Ministry of Transport
on the total charges paid by users of New Zealand
's road and rail system.
One
of the main findings of the “Surface Transport Costs
and Charges Study “ is that users of urban local
roads pay a lower proportion of costs than users
of rural roads.
The
fuel tax price hike follows on from further unwelcome
transport news for rural communities this week as
R ail
company Toll New Zealand announced that seven small-town
stops were to be axed from for its daily North Island
Overlander service. The company will cut out stops
at Te Kauwhata, Huntly, Te Awamutu, Waiouru, Taihape,
Otaki and Waikanae in a bid to fast track Auckland
to Wellington travel times.
“More
and more rural towns are being isolated,” says Sherrill
Dackers. “It almost appears to be a campaign to
shut down rural communities.”
For
further information contact:
Sherrill
Dackers
National
President - Rural Women New Zealand
(09)
437 0572 or (025) 475 744
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