New Zealand Law Society - Auckland fuel supply disruption inquiry report released

Auckland fuel supply disruption inquiry report released

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The report of the Government Inquiry commissioned to look into the issues around the 10-day shutdown of the Refinery to Auckland Pipeline in September 2017 has been released.

A leak in the pipeline, which supplies petrol, diesel and jet fuel from the Marsden Point Refinery to the Wiri Oil Terminal in South Auckland, led to the rationing of jet fuel supplied to Auckland Airport, flight cancellations and stock-outs of some ground fuels (mainly premium petrol) at a number of service stations in Auckland.

The rupture resulted from damage caused by a digger when it was being used to dig for kauri logs some three years earlier. No one had been informed at the time that the pipeline had been struck, and over time, the pipe weakened and eventually ruptured.

The purposed of the Government Inquiry into the Auckland Fuel Supply Disruption was to draw lessons from the event to improve the resilience of fuel supply in the Auckland region.

The Inquiry made 21 recommendations.

The package of solutions that the Inquiry has identified comprises:

  • getting robust information and sharing it;
  • recognising the role of Auckland Airport;
  • close monitoring of progress by the Government; and
  • regulatory and non-regulatory solutions if the market cannot deliver a solution on its own.
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