Service station send off
The Shell Pineview Service Station will be no more from Friday, with Tas Petroleum buying the site ahead of a $1 million transformation. Workers Kristen Holmes and Hayley Croft were busy saying goodbye to customers this week.
September 4, 2024
Long-time Shell Pineview Service Station owner David Clough is retiring tomorrow after 22 years in the role and the site is set for a major change.
Tas Petroleum General Manager Nathan Thurlow confirmed his business had purchased the Scottsdale site and would spend close to $1 million on upgrades in the coming months.
While the major change has come as a shock to many in the community, Mr Clough, 77, said it was time for him to depart.
“It’s an end of an era. I can’t do it forever because it is too big a job for me – it’s for young people with early starts and late finishes,” Mr Clough said.
Local businessmen Matt Tait and Brad Hill had expressed an interest in buying the business to continue operating it in its current format, but a deal had not been finalised.
Mr Thurlow said he bought the property from owner Peter Dixon last week.
“We went into it excited and wanting to keep it as it is and had spent days there getting our heads around it and we just came away with a yucky taste in our mouth,” Mr Tait said.
“Our concern was for the staff who have worked there for 20 years. They are so loved in the community…especially the aspect of our community who require assistance to pump their fuel.
“The nice thing about this business is it provided a great community service and it feels like a loss to big companies.”
Mr Thurlow said while he would implement card reading machines to allow for 24-hour use, there would be a continuation of some driveway service.
“We will be upgrading and enhancing it,” Mr Thurlow said.
“The staff situation is still being discussed. I know that would upset the community so we want to offer
driveway service but probably not for the amount of hours that it currently occurs. We will probably have one or two staff from maybe 10am-4pm but it’s still being finalised.
“If we didn’t buy it, a United or a BP would and then you really would have big oil companies buying it.”
Mr Thurlow said it would be a continuation of Tas Petroleum’s service in the area, with the Tasmanian-owned fuel company supplying fuel to the majority of farmers and service station outlets across the region.
“In summer we send three fuel tankers up this way some days,” Mr Thurlow said.
Tas Petroleum has 35 sites across the state with plans for a 24-hour card-only station being progressed at Bridport.