Celebrating BP Upgrades

Tennant Creek now boasts one of the best roadhouses on the Stuart Highway, with the reopening

of the BP Service Station’s renovated restroom area and toilets.

“As the only 24-hour business in Tennant Creek, we know people rely on our facilities overnight.

But the restroom area had become rundown and was a regular source of complaints from both

travellers and locals,” said Ms Jacqueline Graham, CEO of IRAM, which manages the service

station.

“We have stripped down and refurbished the restrooms, showers and toilets; installed new security

shields for staff safety; upgraded air conditioning; fixed the ceilings; and repainted the interior of

the service station,” she said.

“The work was completed with minimal disruption to fuel supplies or retail trade,” Ms Graham said.

“With these renovations, we now have a modern roadhouse and very competitive fuel pricing,

which means a better service for locals and a better impression of Tennant Creek for travellers,”

she said.

“We made sure we retained the old mudbrick walls of the service station. After all these years, they

still look as good and strong as they day they were made by Julalikari CDEP workers and laid by

local builder, Mr J. Pomare,” Ms Graham said.

The last stage of the upgrades is a new driveway to improve access for both heavy and light

vehicles. This work was delayed by recent rain, but is due to be completed by mid-February.

The construction tender was awarded to M&J Builders, a Darwin-based company registered as a

majority Indigenous-owned company with Supply Nation.

Tennant Creek sub-contractors were Indigenous Civil Construction Group, for the driveway, and

Barkly Plumbing Services (now Territory Water Solutions) for hydraulic works and the supply of

uniforms.

Adelaide-based architectural firm, Evo Arc, coordinated design and construction of the new

facilities.

To celebrate completion of the first stage of renovations, the service station’s board and

management today hosted a morning tea for Tennant Creek community leaders and major

customers, with catering by BP service station staff.