Since Marsden Point stopped refining oil in 2022, New Zealand has imported all its refined fuel, mostly from South Korea and Singapore. The latest official fuel stocks update suggests roughly 52 days of total cover, with less than 33 days of petrol in the country. Yet transport, which consumes nearly 40 percent of all energy in the country, remains almost entirely chained to imported oil. For all its imperfections, the Clean Car Discount scheme, which started in 2021, was shifting the needle. The question now is whether New Zealanders begin to treat their car dependence not as a lifestyle choice but as a strategic liability.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 21, 2026 10:43 UTC