MTA Calls for More Govt Funding to Prevent Aggravated Robberies
The Motor Trade Association is asking government to put more money into helping small service station operators protect
themselves against armed robbers.
MTA Chief Executive Craig Pomare says around two thirds of the country’s service stations, like the Christchurch
Challenge station robbed on Friday, are run by small independent or franchise operators who must pay for the security of
their premises.
“Most armed robberies target cigarettes, and the number of these crimes has gone up dramatically as the tax on tobacco
continues to rise. Improving security is extremely expensive, it can involve new doorways, grills, a different layout
for the shop and so on.”
“The government has provided $1.8m in funding for fog cannon and we are grateful following calls from MTA that this was
made available to service stations earlier this year. However, fog cannons are only suited to a limited number of
situations, and this fund has now run dry. Small business operators need much more help to provide the type of security
that will deter the levels of violence we are now seeing.”
Mr Pomare says there is a commonly acknowledged link between the high price of cigarettes and the growing number of
aggravated robberies targeting tobacco. “The price is being driven by increasing taxes and we ask for part of the almost
$2 billion received in tobacco tax be allocated to the security of people working in premises that sell the product.”
MTA said there were around 1200 service stations across New Zealand. Z Energy has undertaken an extensive hardening of
its service stations as have other oil companies on the premises they own. However, 750, or two thirds of the country’s
service stations are owned by individuals, small companies, franchises or small independent operators. “These small
operators often provide a vital community service and have fairly narrow profit margins. They are quite simply unable to
afford the level of security systems that is needed in towns and cities where aggravated robbery is a very real threat.”