What's happening to all the BP service stations?

cobramania · 22-02-2009, 09:35 AM

Don't know if this is happening else where, but a lot of the BP servo's around Newcastle, Lake Macquarie have been closing down.

4 BP's have closed in the past 12 months (with the land being sold), & last week another one closed to be replaced by a Shell/Coles Express. In the past 2 years 1 new BP has opened (changed from Mobil), 1 BP has been half built for about 2 years now (building & signage, no pumps installed), but never opened.

We're down to about 10-12 scattered all over Newcastle, (some of those listed on the BP site locator no longer exist).

1 Mobil has closed in the last 3 years but a couple more have opened, Shell/Coles & Caltex/Woolworths are opening all over the place, a few independents have closed but quite a few more United servos have opened.

BP servos would now be in the minority of servos around Newcastle, if this slide continues the FPV may be going thirsty or I might have to bring in 20-50 litre drums of Ultimate from elsewhere for my own supply.

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Trendseeker · 22-02-2009, 10:06 AM

I haven't noticed that trend in Sydney. If anything, I would say there has been a slight increase over the past 5 years. I have a BP fuel card and take an interest in where they're located. New ones have been opened near the airport on Gen Holmes Drv and on King Georges Rd near Punchbowl Rd. Another one I go to often at the corner of Capt Cook Drv and Cawarra Rd Nth Caringbah has recently been rebuilt and expanded. I can think of one that closed a few years back on King Georges Rd near Sth Hurstville and another one at Kirrawee that changed to Caltex. But both of these were within one kilometre of another BP servo. I think they're probably doing a bit of consolidating in Newcastle so that they're not so close together. They'll never close the one on the highway; that's always busy when I stop off there.

cobramania · 22-02-2009, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2008WhiteSR

They'll never close the one on the highway; that's always busy when I stop off there.

Which one on the highway are you talking about?

Trendseeker · 22-02-2009, 10:23 AM

Sorry, I mean the one that is just after the roundabout at the end of the F3. I know that isn't a short drive from Lake Macquarie.

Sprint XR8 · 22-02-2009, 12:40 PM

Most likely BP have recently done an enviromental audit of sites in the area. Any sites found to have major soil and groundwater contamination are usualy shut down.
The underground tanks and fuel lines in most old servos leak, its the main reason servos are shut down.

Fairlane · 22-02-2009, 12:45 PM

We got a new BP at North Wyong. There has always been a shortage of BP's around though i must admit. They were hard enough to find in Newcastle as it was.

cobramania · 22-02-2009, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coupex

Most likely BP have recently done an environmental audit of sites in the area. Any sites found to have major soil and groundwater contamination are usually shut down.
The underground tanks and fuel lines in most old servos leak, its the main reason servos are shut down.

Possibly but 1 at least wasn't that old (10 years maybe), & 1 was at the New South Wales Distribution Terminal at Carrington (Newcastle), I don't see them closing the terminal because of ground contamination, in fact BP's just finishing installing a new pipeline from the terminal to the wharf, so they can bring more fuel in (via ships) from the Qld. refinery. The 1 that's changing from BP to Shell mustn't be leaking, because they're not digging up & changing the tanks, they're only changing the pumps & signage & refitting to look like a Coles express, again it wasn't that old either (maybe 10 years).

SM1DY · 22-02-2009, 03:08 PM

There was a BP that got shut down on the Gold Coast near the Carrara Markets many years ago, but thats is about the extent of the damage here.

dave351cid · 24-02-2009, 12:29 AM

most of the BP servos around central qld seem to have disappeared in the last 18 months or so.

a few i can think of just now:
BP miriam vale -changed to United, dropped 10c a litre the same day.
BP moura - changed to mobil
BP gladstone (one of two in town) closed down
BP biggeden burnt down , not rebuilt.

i was told by one servo owner that they had to change brands or go broke. they felt that BP were trying to drive away all the independant servo owners and the only BPs that will be around soon will be the company owned shops.

FGII-XR6 · 24-02-2009, 02:01 AM

all the BP servos from beresfield to rutherford are still there