AFTER the business owner of Tarwin Fuel Supplies was evicted by the landlord in February this year, due to an ongoing dispute, the service station remains closed.
Yubaraj Khadka bought the business from Gaurav Shegal in September 2024, moving from Darwin with his pregnant wife, after visiting and falling in love with the area.
Venus Bay local Tracey Kershaw said at the time, the business was the best it had been in the thirty years she’s lived there, stating that Mr Khadka had cleaned up the shop, stocked it with food, dropped the price of petrol and had been delivering gas.
However, issues began when Mr Khadka sought to change fuel suppliers and required a Tank Integrity Test Report, which falls under the responsibility of the landlord.
There had also been a known, long-term issue with one of the tanks leaking water into the petrol, which would have needed to be rectified.
The landlord, Mr Shegal refused to provide a report and wouldn’t negotiate a new rental agreement with Mr Khadka, who stopped paying rent to try and force a resolution.
After a month of failing to pay rent, Mr Khadka was sent a breach of notice, which he replied to and filed his case with the Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC).
Expecting the matter to be resolved or progressed by the VSBC, Mr Khadka was shocked when in February, without notice he and his wife were illegally locked out of the business and their home.
Three months on the case still hasn’t been resolved and locals still have no convenient access to fuel or basic supplies and Mr Khadka has moved on.
“After the eviction, we moved out from there, definitely, because we can’t go back. And I don’t feel like going back to the business,” he said.
“I couldn’t do much. I have a case against the vendors who sold me the business and we’re still waiting on that one.”
Mr Khadka and his wife have stayed in the area and were forced to live in the Caravan Park for the past three months before recently finding more permanent accommodation.
Mr Khadka started a new job last week, which he said had been difficult after not working for someone else for three years, but things were looking up.
“It took a lot of time for me to get back again, mentally. But now I’m pretty fine,” explained Mr Khadka.
“It was just a part of the journey. I learned a lot of things, I think, but it wasn’t easy.”
