A 24-hour self-service fuel facility proposed for Ettrick has the approval of all its nearby neighbours in the township, the resource consent application says.
The Central Otago District Council's hearings panel will meet next Tuesday to hear the application by RD Petroleum Ltd.
The company wants consent to construct and operate the fuel stop at a site opposite the former Ettrick School.
The site is within the rural resource area and council planning consultant David Whitney said it was a non-complying activity as it involved retail activity.
From 1984 until recent times, the site was used as a transport yard, initially by Holgate and Anderson and then by Tuapeka Transport. It was now essentially "a vacant paddock with some concrete fertiliser bins located on the eastern portion'', Mr Whitney said.
The applicant provided "considerable detail'' in four different reports. The facility would sell diesel, petrol and AdBlue - an additive to reduce exhaust emissions from diesel engines.
Development would take place in two stages. The first stage was installing underground storage tanks, signs and two fuel dispensers. The facility could cater for four vehicles at once.
The second stage of development was adding two more fuel dispensers, so the facility could cater for eight vehicles refuelling at the same time.
A 40,000l tank for diesel and 33,000l tank for petrol would be placed underground and a tank above ground would hold 4800l of the diesel engine additive.
Mr Whitney said there was a variety of land use activities on either side of the highway at Ettrick. The immediate neighbours of the proposed fuel stop had all given their approval.
He recommended the panel grant consent for the fuel facility, subject to nine conditions.
Any adverse effects on the environment would be minor, he said.
The application said no goods or services, other than fuel and the fuel additive, would be offered for sale.
RD Petroleum had 16 similar 24-hour self-service fuel facilities in the South Island, so it had significant experience in the operation and management of that type of facility.
