Goff says Auckland fuel tax ‘wonderful’ but not enough

AUCKLAND: The Mayor of Auckland, Phil Goff, says a fuel tax will not be enough to tackle Auckland’s crippling transport challenges.

One consultant estimates a $600 million annual shortfall.

Auckland Council’s 10year plan proposes $11 billion$12 billion in spending on transport, but Peter Winder, director of McGredy Winder and Co, says that is ‘‘not even close’’ to what is needed.

In a public debate this week on Auckland transport, he said about $600 million more per year was needed to solve the transport issues.

‘‘It is wonderful a regional fuel tax is on the table, but it is not at a level even remotely close to where we need to be.’’

Mr Goff said the council was at its borrowing limit, and the Government had to play a role.

‘‘But we have got to do some of it ourselves.

‘‘We can’t expect the people of Invercargill, Gisborne and Masterton to pay for our transport needs.

‘‘That is why I am proposing a regional fuel tax.’’

Such a tax would raise about $130 million150 million a year, he said.

‘‘It makes a difference, but is it enough? No, it is not enough.’’

Auckland’s transport issues are on display this week as ‘‘March Madness’’ officially begins, when about 100,000 tertiary students join the commute and dozens of festivals and events clog the city’s roads, public transport and cycleways.

The chaos has been further exacerbated this week by industrial action on Auckland train services.

With delays in the train network, some people opted to drive instead, adding to congestion.

There are more than 800 extra cars on Auckland streets each week, and the average central city commute time of an hour is expected to increase 55% by 2020.

Congestion is estimated to cost Auckland businesses $1.9 billion to $2 billion a year.

A report from the Automobile Association released this week found Aucklanders were spending close to 80 hours stuck in motorway traffic congestion each year.

Mr Goff said Auckland needed to find the money to invest in infrastructure, and use the infrastructure better.

Despite major infrastructure projects the city was struggling to keep up.

‘‘We have got to run really fast, even just to stand still, when our population is going to be 2 million people within the next decade. ’’

Other areas to spend the annual transport fund was in extending busways and ultimately connecting a lightrail system across the harbour.

‘‘The next harbour crossing has got to be a public transport crossing, because otherwise we will be bringing more people in, on to alreadycongested roads, and there is no parking in the CBD.’’

These big projects would all take time, he said. —NZME