The number of owner-operated petrol stations is on the rise after declining for decades.
Motor Trade Association (MTA) says of the about 1070 manned stations, 900 are now run by independents.
That's up markedly from 2009, when there were 650 franchises and 400 oil company run sites.
But it's still well short of the 4400 owner-operated stations in 1976.
MTA says the rise in recent years is due to oil company sites being sold off.
But it says stations around the country are continuing to close on a regular basis.
A main reason is because the cost of replacing storage tanks is prohibitive, running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
