Transport Minister Simeon Brown was unrepentant about cutting funding for cycling and pedestrian measures to put into pothole repairs and new roads as he released the Government’s final transport plan.
On Thursday, Brown released the final government policy statement (GPS) on land transport after consulting on the draft plan – and confirmed 17 Roads of National Significance (Rons) as well as 11 roads of regional significance are on the slate.
It also confirms the Government’s plan to freeze fuel taxes until 2027, followed by a hike of 12c a litre from January 1, 2027, and 6c and 4c hikes in the years following.
It will also hike vehicle registration fees by $25 next year and a further $25 in 2026.
Brown defended the decision to cut funding for cycles and walking – one of the issues the draft government plan was criticised for by the Green Party.
“I think most New Zealanders have seen over the last few years the priorities have been in the wrong places, with cycle bridges and cycle lanes when our roads are falling apart. So we are focusing on the basics.”
He pointed to the ring-fenced $4 billion pothole and road maintenance fund. “Those are the things New Zealanders pay their petrol taxes and road user charges for.”
Brown said he had responded to some of the concerns raised during consultation, including that cycleways had been getting the lion’s share of funding from the cycling and walking fund. As a result, he had stipulated that at least 25 per cent of that fund had to be spent on walking.
And while Auckland’s regional fuel tax will end on Monday, Brown cannot yet say whether Aucklanders will end up paying more through plans to introduce congestion charges in the city.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) will deliver its transport plan in response to the Government’s in September.
Brown said he had kept National’s campaign promise not to increase fuel excises or road user charges until 2027 and to remove the 11.5c Auckland regional fuel tax.
However, he said it was important to have a funding model that allowed investment in maintenance and new roading. “The costs of that have increased. The decisions in this GPS ensure we do not have to have a significant increase in fuel excise or road user charges over the next three years.”
He said the policy work around congestion charging was under way and he could not speculate on whether that might mean Aucklanders ended up paying more than the regional fuel tax had cost them.
He said congestion charging was not about revenue collecting. “It’s about efficiency of the network.”
He said there was a range of options but decisions were yet to be taken on it. The coalition agreement with Act provides for Auckland Council to be able to implement congestion charging.
The coalition Government is also looking at tolling and value capture, such as levies on those who benefit from new infrastructure projects.
Brown echoed the comments of Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop, who said he had expected tolls would be charged on all the roads of national significance.
The plan also includes $3.1b for public transport infrastructure and $2.3b for public transport services over the next three years.
The plan is largely unchanged from the draft plan, released in March – although there are now 17 Rons on it instead of 15, as well as the 11 roads of regional significance.
Brown said there had been a further $2.6b boost of funding in the Budget for itransport, including $1b to the Land Transport Fund to help bring the road programme forward. It had also boosted funding for the cyclone recovery roading projects and metro rail.
“In Auckland and in Wellington it’s about making sure our metropolitan networks are able to be at a standard which is more reliable. It’s something the commuters in Auckland and Wellington have been incredibly concerned about in recent months and years.”
The GPS sets out plans for spending $7b in funding from the National Land Transport Fund and around $1.5b from local government, each year.
Since the draft plan was released, the NZTA has confirmed a ring-fenced $3.9b fund for pothole repairs and prevention on local roads and state highways.
Claire Trevett is the NZ Herald’s political editor, based at Parliament in Wellington. She started at the Herald in 2003 and joined the Press Gallery team in 2007. She is a life member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.