March 27, 2026
Ashburton District Council is monitoring its fuel use and telling staff not to travel unless absolutely essential.
Council chief executive Hamish Riach said rising fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East will put pressure on councils delivering essential services.
The council is introducing cost-saving measures and considering the impact on budgets for essential services, such as waste collection, he said.
At the activity briefing on Wednesday, he informed councillors that the council had started monitoring fuel use and looking at fuel-saving methods.
“We are asking our staff to not travel unless absolutely necessary, that includes air travel.”
The council is also encouraging the use of virtual meetings and carpooling where possible, and discussing a “remote working policy for those who travel the furthest to be a little bit flexible”.
He said the executive team has also taken a closer look at the council’s fuel consumption, which showed it uses about 20,000 litres of diesel a month, and about 6000 litres of petrol.
“The bulk of the fuel we consume is in the open spaces [department].”
The open spaces team manages the parks and reserves, cemeteries, public toilets and rubbish bins from the coast to the high country, covering a lot of kilometres, he said.
The council has a limited supply stored for Civil Defence emergencies, to run generators and other essential equipment, and while it receives discounted fuel through the all of government contract, “the increases are still there”.
Fuel prices will also impact the cost of council services, especially the solid waste and kerbside collection service.
Riach said the impact of the fuel crisis on the rubbish collection could mean the current budget is "inadequate" for the 2025/26 financial year.
“That’s a real, live concern.
“One of the things we are at least thinking about is whether we should return back to council and seek a different budget, or at least a way of managing what may well be increased fuel costs for that area.”
He said it will impact other services, like roading and drinking and waste water pipe renewal, they could reduce the work to “cope with unexpected price shocks”.
“But waste, we can’t do that. We have to drive around and pick up the rubbish.”
Council’s roading manager Mark Chamberlain said the council has already completed 69.2km of its reseals for the summer, so it will only face cost escalations for the “tail end” of the programme, which is expected to be completed by the end of next week.
Riach said the council learned good lessons during covid times and can run the council in a fuel-efficient way, and “we’re proactively sharing information with other councils”.
In Selwyn, building, planning and regulatory executive director Robert Love said they have set up a business continuity planning group to look at the options, including how to respond as the situation changes and advising staff to reduce travel wherever possible.
“We are working closely with our CCOs, Corde and Selwyn Water Limited, as well as our other key stakeholders, to ensure that our combined planning puts us in the best possible place to support our communities and organisation as the situation unfolds."
The primary focus is on maintaining essential services, he said.
Selwyn’s Annual Plan is out for consultation, and any changes as a result of the fuel price rise will need to be considered through that process, with a focus on rates affordability while continuing to deliver essential services, he said.
By Jonathan Leask
Ashburton District Council is monitoring its fuel use and telling staff not to travel unless absolutely essential.
Council chief executive Hamish Riach said rising fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East will put pressure on councils delivering essential services.
The council is introducing cost-saving measures and considering the impact on budgets for essential services, such as waste collection, he said.
At the activity briefing on Wednesday, he informed councillors that the council had started monitoring fuel use and looking at fuel-saving methods.
“We are asking our staff to not travel unless absolutely necessary, that includes air travel.”
The council is also encouraging the use of virtual meetings and carpooling where possible, and discussing a “remote working policy for those who travel the furthest to be a little bit flexible”.
He said the executive team has also taken a closer look at the council’s fuel consumption, which showed it uses about 20,000 litres of diesel a month, and about 6000 litres of petrol.
“The bulk of the fuel we consume is in the open spaces [department].”
The open spaces team manages the parks and reserves, cemeteries, public toilets and rubbish bins from the coast to the high country, covering a lot of kilometres, he said.
The council has a limited supply stored for Civil Defence emergencies, to run generators and other essential equipment, and while it receives discounted fuel through the all of government contract, “the increases are still there”.
Fuel prices will also impact the cost of council services, especially the solid waste and kerbside collection service.
Riach said the impact of the fuel crisis on the rubbish collection could mean the current budget is "inadequate" for the 2025/26 financial year.
“That’s a real, live concern.
“One of the things we are at least thinking about is whether we should return back to council and seek a different budget, or at least a way of managing what may well be increased fuel costs for that area.”
He said it will impact other services, like roading and drinking and waste water pipe renewal, they could reduce the work to “cope with unexpected price shocks”.
“But waste, we can’t do that. We have to drive around and pick up the rubbish.”
Council’s roading manager Mark Chamberlain said the council has already completed 69.2km of its reseals for the summer, so it will only face cost escalations for the “tail end” of the programme, which is expected to be completed by the end of next week.
Riach said the council learned good lessons during covid times and can run the council in a fuel-efficient way, and “we’re proactively sharing information with other councils”.
In Selwyn, building, planning and regulatory executive director Robert Love said they have set up a business continuity planning group to look at the options, including how to respond as the situation changes and advising staff to reduce travel wherever possible.
“We are working closely with our CCOs, Corde and Selwyn Water Limited, as well as our other key stakeholders, to ensure that our combined planning puts us in the best possible place to support our communities and organisation as the situation unfolds."
The primary focus is on maintaining essential services, he said.
Selwyn’s Annual Plan is out for consultation, and any changes as a result of the fuel price rise will need to be considered through that process, with a focus on rates affordability while continuing to deliver essential services, he said.
By Jonathan Leask
