A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Opinion
Re: Time for Forestry Roading Levy, Nov 10 column.
I absolutely agree that we need to sort out a fair and equitable method for funding roading, whether it be rates, levies, fuel taxes or some other means, which was the main point of our submission to GDC on the Long-Term
Plan.
I don’t think any work has progressed on from the 2017 report, but welcome the chance to have meaningful dialogue with GDC over what could work.
Current rating models, or levies on volume through ports or mills, assume all forests use the same amount of roads so contribute the same amount, which isn’t fair. Some forests are a few kilometres out of town, some are on a state highway, while others are 200 kilometres away. A regional fuel tax was suggested as a more equitable means of funding roads, on the basis that the further you travel, the more fuel you use so the more you pay.
The other key point of the submission was that the roading rate would be reduced or removed from GDC rates; it could not be additional.
