How Viva Energy is improving convenience in the marine community of Weipa

While big multi-million dollar projects usually get the attention and the accolades, sometimes it’s the simple solutions to everyday problems that change life for the better.

Like connecting an EFTPOS machine to a marine fuel bunker in Far North Queensland. It might seem like a no-brainer but, up until a few weeks ago, filling up the fuel tank of a boat at Weipa Harbour was complicated. Today, thanks to Viva Energy’s innovative take on the old fashioned servo, you can sail into the marina, refuel, tap on the EFTPOS machine with a credit card, and sail away. Simple.

‘It’s a big win for the consumer’, says Erik Yurdal, Marine Sales Consultant at Viva Energy. Until recently, the marine bunker was managed by a Viva Energy competitor. To purchase fuel, customers had to have an account, or pay up front in cash. It was a cumbersome process, and far from consumer friendly.

But in an Australian first, when Viva Energy took over the facility they installed an EFTPOS machine at the bunker. While paying with cash or by account is no longer an option, the EFTPOS facility makes selling fuel direct to the customer more convenient. By taking control of the supply chain end-to-end, Viva Energy is cautiously venturing into the B2C Marine consumer market for the first time.

Today, the marina at Weipa is open to a whole new fleet of customers.

The region is renowned for excellent fishing and each year, the vibrant port attracts huge numbers of recreational and commercial fisherman. The Harbour Master and the Port Authority are big advocates of the new payment system, which attracts even more fishing vessels to the port. ‘It’s a lucrative market’ says Yurdal. ‘They want those boats to come into the port because it generates revenue for them.’

Even the smallest innovation requires caution– especially in the fuel industry. Ensuring safety was a main priority. ‘It’s a public wharf. You need to have controls in place,’ says Yurdal. The answer was a manned bunker. The trained “bunkerman” takes customer bookings, connects the hoses from the tanks to the boats, and handles the EFTPOS transaction, ensuring a more convenient process. While it’s only been operating since the beginning of June, so far it’s been a 'seamless transition.'

Another obstacle was the perception that the marine community was too small and wasn’t a priority for a company used to dealing with the ‘big end of town’. But Yurdal believed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to takeover the bunkering at Weipa was too good to miss.

‘We’ve got an obligation to the community, and if we don’t do it, someone else will and the opportunity will be lost.’

The Marine fuel industry, according to Yurdal, is very cautious when it comes to safety precautions. ‘Operationally, you have to cover every obstacle,’ he explains. ‘But we manage risk every day of the week, and fuel is our core business. We deliver billions of litres a year safely,’ he points out.

‘The only difference is the payment application.’

So how did he get Viva Energy’s stakeholders around that mindset, particularly in a difficult regional market? ‘Perseverance. We had to be persistent.’

For Viva Energy, a minor breakthrough at Weipa Marina might just be a stepping-stone into the consumer market in regional Australia.