Horizons

Fiji

Broadening

oth locals and tourists will benefit from Boral Gas Pacific’s plans for Fiji. Located in the centre of BGP’s

existing regional network, Fiji is one of the company’s largest and most diverse Pacific markets, heavily servicing the tour ism industry as well as the domestic and commercial sectors.

Ranging from chicken brooders to steam boilers, BGP services many special ised industries in Fiji, and is always look ing to broaden its horizons in new com mercial and domestic directions.

Fiji Gas Company Manager Harvie Probert says the reason for BGP’s diverse clientele is due to its wide distribution net work. “With more than 500 outlets retail ing gas in Fiji, gas is easily and readily accessible to our customers.

“The 1994 Vakaviti Omnibus survey in dicated that 83% of the urban and peri urban population uses gas, mainly for cooking, and more than half of the remain der are about to do so.”

Such penetration into the market ac cording to Mr Probert, is due to Fiji Gas’s innovative marketing program.

“Added to our radio and press adver tising, we are in the process of finishing production of a 23-part cooking program

Harvie Probert manages Fiji Gas Company, part of Boral Gas Pacific's fast-growing operations in the region.

called ‘Quick and Easy Cooking with Fiji Gas’ which will go to air at the end of February”, he says.

“I am sure that with our share of the domestic cooking market reaching over 75%, Fiji Gas is a household name”.

Other ventures have given extra ex posure in the tourism sector. Since Febru ary 1, 1994, BGP has been supplying LPG to fuel two Shotover Jets, high-powered jet boats, which take tourists on thrilling half hour whirls up the Ngai River. “Two more boats are expected to begin opera tions shortly and Boral Gas will run both of them,” Mr Probert says.

With five LPG terminals, located in Suva, Labasa, Lautoka, Savu Savu and Sigatoka, BGP supplies bottled bulk or re ticulated LPG to many of Fiji’s 100 popu lated islands.

As well, Fiji Gas Company services a number of outlying islands to the north, including Tuvalu and Kiribati. This serv ice forms part of BGP’s community objec tive, ensuring that a cost efficient energy source is accessible to the whole commu nity.

After establishing a partnership with the family owned Fiji Gas Company in 1972, BGP has continued its trend towards creating a family atmosphere and placing

the greatest emphasis on providing for the local consumer.

Boral has big plans for the future of its gas operations in Fiji. On the agenda is the provision of greater access to LPG in the more outlying areas of Fiji through its seaboard terminals. Another opportunity is the installation of Autogas stations for running motor vehicles cheaply and safely.

The growing tourism industry in Fiji is providing BGP with continuous growth.

BGP has added to its objectives that of catering for the needs of the hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting the islands every year through the supply of clean, efficient energy to tourist facilities.

As the tourism market develops, so will BGP, employing more nationals and con tributing to the long term development of Fiji.

In all of its Pacific markets the Boral reputation for service is becoming a byword of the energy industry. There are various delivery methods, including the traditional gas bottle. Reticulated gas is also becoming a popular method of delivery for light industry in some areas.