Great Barrier pushes for free ferry travel for seniors

Great Barrier Island is pushing for its senior citizens to be allowed to travel free to Auckland and back. Photo / Supplied

Great Barrier Island is pushing for its senior citizens to be allowed to travel free to Auckland and back under the Government SuperGold Card travel scheme.

Its community board yesterday won Auckland Regional Council support for the Government to consider including Great Barrier ferry services in an annual review of the scheme, which allows pensioners in many parts of New Zealand free off-peak travel on public transport.

The council's transport committee also agreed to ask its public transport subsidiary to address island ferry services in a new regional public transport plan to be introduced next year.

Community board chairman Paul Downie believed expanding the SuperGold Card scheme to the island would not prove too costly for the Government - the adult return ferry fare between Great Barrier and Auckland is $120, or $435 for 10 trips. The trip takes about four and a half hours.

The Government inherited a $72 million commitment to the scheme over four years from Labour and New Zealand First.